Bestinslot's Minecraft Evolution
by White Demon 005
Summary: We follow an alternate version of Bestinslot's adventures in Minecraft. Where he will learn about the world he currently resides in, make allies, fight enemies, and unravel the secrets that this land keeps. (Also, there is a a lot of butchered English. It was suppose to be words using the Gaelic dialect. I apologize if it offends anyone. The translations are in parentheses.)
1. Chapter 1

He awakens to the intensity of the pushing and pulling of small waves. He was lying flat on his stomach on the wet sand beneath him. He wears what used to be a clean white polo and a pair of khakis. Now it is just gritty and torn versions of their cleaner counterparts. And there were small cuts and bruises all over his body. Sore from his injuries, he struggled to get on his feet. He barely managed just to get on his knees.

When opening his eyes, everything was green blur for him a while. But it later cleared eventually. The man is now subjected to the lovely scenery that he is was in. A small sandy beach nearby a grass-filled field touched with rolling hills and titanic mountains looming over him. And he is subjected to the gradual setting of the sun over the mountains. Not only that, but his ears pierced by the excessive echoes of small rodents around and the high-pitched chirpings of the birds above. The wind blew casually behind him as he stood before this fantastical setting.

It was all so peaceful, so perfect. That is, as he turns around him, he realized the cause of why he was there in the first place. To the left of the shore lies the wreckage of ship he was on. He was boarding in a ship heading to the U.S to witness the unveiling about the discovery of a new prehistoric creature. However he remembered there was a huge thunderstorm that struck the vessel. The boat must have definitely been pulled into the storm forcing it to crash here. It appears the ship is stationary due to it being impaled by the enormous and jagged rocks. He dashed towards the crash site hoping to find survivors. If not, hopefully there would be survival supplies.

Arriving in front of the crash site, he noticed serious damages to the ship and shore around. Metal shrapnel that must have dislodged from the ship after accident is scattered and partially buried beneath sand. The hull of the ship is completely decimated by the rough rocks that impaled it. Fortunately, there was a crack of the ship that appears big enough for him to pass through.

He crawled through the rough crevice and stepped inside the ship. The metal floor is partially submerged with sea water and there was barely any light to see. All he could hear was the screeching clatter of grinding metal haunting the ship and the gentle splashing caused with each step he took. As he walked further into the depths of the wreckage, he could make out what seems to be a narrow hallway in front of him. He carefully staggered through the hallway. Ultimately, he was at the end of the hallway and was forced to turn left into a small room. This room had a white cross within a red circle on the left side of the room.

"_This must be the emergency room or medical station._" The man thought.

This scavenged the entire room looking for supplies. However, it was all in vain. Whatever the place is or what it held, most of the supplies were destroyed in the wreckage or taken already. All he found was a lighter and an empty backpack.

"_Damn, I was hoping for a few more stuff._" He furiously cursed. "_Maybe I should head back since it was sunset a few minutes ago. It could be dark._"

As he returned to the shore, it was already night time. His only illumination was the moon hanging above the world. The night was nearly quiet if it weren't for the swaying of the waves and the boisterous chirpings of crickets. By the right of the ship's remains lies a dense coniferous forest. He gazed into it carefully and notices a dim orange light in the darkness of the forest.

"_It could be people, or a fire. Hopefully it is both._" He assumed.

He sprinted his way into the coniferous forest. He did not bother pulling out the lighter because there is still a lot of illumination from the moon. The lively sounds of the beach and crickets died gradually as he ventures deeper into the forest. However, the closer he tried to get to the light, the way to it seems to lengthen over time.

Eventually, he entered into a small clearing to where it seems all wildlife and sound is void here. What only lie in the clearing are just grass and few dandelions here and there. Sore from both his wounds and sprinting for quite some time, he decided to sit down on the ground for a few minutes before he starts going towards the light again. He sits the backpack gently on the ground and looked up into the starry sky as he sat down. A couple minutes passed by and he then proceeded to head into the light. But as he stood back on his feet, a dark hooded figure loomed on the other side of the clearing, having its back turned to him.

Relieved to see another person, the man hollered to the hooded figure, "Hey! Are you from the ship?"

No answer.

"Hey are you alright?!" He yelled even more.

Impatient for an answer, he dashed to the hooded figure's position. As soon as it was in arm's reach, he launched his hand to the figure's shoulder. However, as soon as he gripped on the shoulder, he felt the chilling and horrid presence of death all over the figure. In a blink of an eye, he was smacked by some sort of blunt object to the right side of his cheek and was knocked down on his rear.

"Bloody he-" The man cursed. But he was interrupted to the sight of the identity of the hooded figure.

It was a decrepit skeleton with minor cracks on the skull and maggots going in and out of its eye sockets. It pulled a wooden bow from within its robes with its left hand. And, as if by magic, summoned an arrow with its right hand. It then continued to assault him by aiming its arrow at him.

_Swoosh._

The arrow had flown by his head nearly instantaneously. Luckily, it merely grazed his hair by a few centimeters. When the arrow pierced onto the ground, a small patch of grass surrounding the arrow rapidly decayed and dried up.

The man gulped and staggered back up to his feet. The skeleton was preparing for another shot, but the man soon tackled the skeleton and attempted to reach for its bow. However, the skeleton jabbed its bony fist to his face. He retracted from his assault and opted to run past the monster instead. He was sprinting into the darkness.

As he was darting through the woods, it seems that more unknown creatures are aware of his current position. The night was echoing the howls of any ungodly terrors verging towards his position. He was then blocked off by a steep stony hill. He tried turning back but to only be halted by the sights of the horrid silhouettes of terrors and creatures unknown to him in the cover of the night. He had to act fast or else become the victim to these demons.

He readied himself for a steep climb. The man leaped to a nearby ledge and started climbing. He kept scaling up the hill until he his left ankle was gripped by something. He rotated himself to see a wolf-like humanoid was striving to pull him down to the monstrous horde below. The man therefore kicked the creature by the face, hoping it would let go. Amazingly, it did let go after shrieking a ferocious cry in pain. It fell down into the horde be seen a dark figure in a pool of its blood. The man afterwards reached to the top of the hill.

On the peak, he could see a well-lighted, three story building next to large river next to the bottom of the hill.

"_I am definitely am going to feel this by tomorrow._" He gravely reflected to himself.

He skidded down the stony hill, feeling every jagged rock and stone cutting his flesh. By the time he landed at ground floor, he was already bleeding slowly all over. To make matters worse there was several hideous and putrid creatures closing on him. Fortunately, there was small gap between two monsters that might give him a chance to escape. He avoided the grip of the horrid beast and dashed out of there. He hurtled through that nightmare without slowing down knowing full well what would happen if he does.

He reached at the double doors of the structure. Coincidentally for him, the doors were left open. He barged through the doorway and locked the doors behind him. He could hear the disappointed shrieks of the nightmarish creatures outside.

"_Thank God. I got out that hell alive._" He sighed.

He observed the room he was in. It had four wooden, cobwebbed pillars around the center of the room. Desks were orderly lined up in the room by 3x4 rows covered in dusts. The walls appeared as if they were replaced with bookshelves. And with each shelf was entirely filled with books of all sorts. The lights seemed as bright as sun, completely illuminating the darkness that he was subjected in a few minutes ago. It was amazing. It seemed as if this was some sort of ancient forgotten library. To either side of the room, are stair cases that lead to the second floor of the structure.

He trekked upstairs to find a wonderful lounge-like area. There were luxurious chairs scattered all around the second floor. A wonderfully soft and beautiful white rose-themed rug covered the center of the room. The walls were plastered with portraits of colorful flowers or puppies.

He assumed, "_Oh it must be a lounge or something like that._"

He kept moving up to the final upstairs and found rows of beds completely filling the entirety of the room. They were a bit sooty, but they are still able to sleep on them without any problem. He plopped onto a bed, and slowly falling into deep sleep.

He awoke to the dying shrieks of the monsters outside. He rushed to a window to see what is going to them. He looked out the window see a skeleton being burned alive. It was scurrying around the area until it reached shade under the tree.

"_What in the world just happened?_"

The skeleton noticed his confused gazed at the window and prepared itself to fire an arrow at it.

"Oh crap!" The man yelped and ducked under the stony cover. He waited for the arrow to burst through the glass window. But apparently the window did not get destroyed. He peeked through the window to comprehend what happened. He detected a man donning chain mail armor and an iron helmet looming over the skeleton's dead corpse. The knight wields a regular broadsword on his left hand.

The knight stared at the window the man was at. He appeared galvanized to see a person in the forgotten structure.

"Good sir, are you all right?!" The knight hollered at the man. His voice was raspy and has a distinct Scottish accent.

The man answered, "I'm fine. I think."

The knight questioned, "What is your name then, stranger?"

He was hesitant to say anything because he is unsure if he can trust this man. However, be concluded that this person could be the only one that can help in his situation.

"My name …." The man gulped, "is Bestinslot."

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Bestinslot ran down the stairs and exited out of the stony building. The knight soon came by to him to greet him face to face. At a closer look, the knight's armor bore a very similar resemblance to the Crusader armor. However, instead of the cross that most crusaders would normally use for their armor symbols, it was a symbol of a golden circle and streaks of orange falling from it. His leather gloves bore a mark that appeared to look like the delta symbol dyed white.

"Ma name is Eideard Filib." (My name is Eideard Filib) The knight spoke, "It seems ye ar new aroond these parts." (It seems you are new around these parts)

Bestinslot looked at the field all around him. Corpses of the monsters that were pursuing him were now dead on the floor, with bits of smoke rising from their bodies. Most of their skins have been charred black to the point that they are unrecognizable of what they used to be.

"Bloody Nora, I can't believe it." Bestinslot whispered. "You did this?" He asked.

Eideard laughed. "Ay, A'm a great wizard that can summon fire to burn ma enemies." (Yes, I'm a great wizard that can summon fire to burn my enemies.)

"I take it that you did not do this." Bestinslot disappointingly murmured.

"Nae ma friend, A did not. Ah wish Ah did." (No my friend, I did not. I wish I did.) The knight answered. "Nae, this is the working of the sun, ma friend." (No, this is the working of the sun, my friend.) The knight replied as he pointed out all the bodies. Eideard identified Bestinslot's British accent "Oh, an Englishman!" He bellowed.

"Yes." Bestinslot responded. "Why do you ask?"

"Yer certainly do not look like an Englishman." (You certainly do not look like an Englishman.) He began to laugh. "Ye look way too dirty to surely look like one. Where is your crumpets and cup of tea? Hae they've been stolen by the queen." (You look way too dirty to surely look like one. Where is your crumpets and cup of tea? Have they've been stolen by the queen.) He joked.

The man glared at the warrior.

"Do not feel offended. A was merely jesting." (Do not feel offended. I was merely joking.) The knight confessed.

The knight looked at Bestinslot's wounds. "How ar ye, Bestinslot?" (How are you Bestinslot?"

Bestinslot sighed "I'm feeling fine really." Suddenly his stomach grumbled loudly.

"Ye guttin eh?" (You hungry eh?)

"Alright, I maybe am feeling a bit peckish."

"Come wi's. Ma village is far from haur. Will be thaur by sundown." (Come with me. My village is far from here. Will be there by sundown) Eideard ordered joyfully.

"Thank you."

"Ar ye gonna keep blabbin' or ar ye gonna coorie up?" (Are you gonna keep blabbin' or are you gonna hurry up) Eideard yelled.

They trekked through a few large open fields of grass and crossed a river. Eventually they were entering an open area without any trees or rocks. And ahead of this clearing was an elongated stone wall in front of them. By the mere appearance of the wall, it has taken quite some damaged. There were some severe abrasions and burn marks on the stony barrier. In the middle of the wall were two thick wooden doors.

They approached the stone barrier casually. Two armored guards exited through the doors; wielding spears close to their chest. They both bore the same insignia and armor as Eideard, but Eideard was the only one with the delta gloves. They stood side by side each other and stood straight and alert as Eideard passed.

"Welcome back, Captain Filib!" The guards hailed Eideard in synch.

"Ho ye laddies." (Excuse me laddies.) Eideard greeted back.

"You're a captain?" Bestinslot asked in assurance.

"Ay laddy." (Yes laddy) Eideard answered.

They entered through the wooden gates and followed a stone path. In front of them were one floor houses that were randomly scattered throughout the area. In the middle of the road is what appears like the town's center. Houses varied from what they were made out of. Some of the residences were wooden made of oak wood. And others were made out of stone that has Eideard's symbol painted on the entrances. From the other side of the village lays a hill with a small hut residing on the mound.

"Bestinslot, A will tak' ye to ma hoose." (Bestinslot, I will take you to my house) Eideard stated. "A hae some mair roonds tae dae. Mah guidwife will tak' care of ye." (I have some more rounds to do. My wife will take care of you.)

They turned right from the town's center and finally came across Eideard's house. The house was merely like any of the stone houses before. Although instead of doors presenting the symbol that Eideard wears, it was cobalt banners hanging on the walls of Eideard's abode. Eideard opened the door and revealed the living room of his dwelling. The interior had a small fire place and a fluffy maroon couch in the living room. The living room held a small tiny circular table made out of lumber and a wolf pelt rug lay on the ground nest to the fire place. The walls hung the game that Eideard's family has killed. Especially there was a distinctive side that was plastered with heads of several monsters that Bestinslot has never seen…..yet.

The knight stomped his metal boot on the timber planks. "Welcome tae ma humble abode." (Welcome to my humble abode.)

"Thanks mate." Bestinslot delightedly said.

A beautifully, small white woman shortly entered the room. She wore a simple but elegant dress with the color patterns of bronze and pure white. Her hands and sleeves were covered entirely with dry blood.

"Ma guidwife, Chantelle." (My wife, Chantelle) Eideard spoke as he lunged forward to hug her.

"Eideard!" Chantelle playfully yelled. "You didn't tell me you're bringing a guest over. I would have prepared dinner much earlier."

"A'm sorry dear. Thes jist happened tae be urgent. A foond Mr. Bestinslot during ma roonds. And A still have tae dae ma roonds." (I'm sorry dear. This just happened to be urgent. I found Mr. Bestinslot during my rounds. And I still have to do my rounds.) Eideard explained. "Tak' caur ay Bestinslot while A finish them. A loue ye!" (Take care of Bestinslot while I finish them. I love you!) Then Eideard rushed out of the house.

Chantelle gazed into Bestinslot with happy yet intimidating eyes. Bestinslot, terrified by her blood ridden hands, staggered back to the wall.

"Oh my ….. what am I doing?! Monsieur Bestinslot, come and sleep at the couch. You must be tired." Chantelle hastily annunciated.

Chantelle grabbed him by the collar and flung him to the couch. He lay on the couch with a galvanized expression on his face.

Chantelle looked down on him and assured him, "By the way, Monsieur, you'll be in pain for a quick moment. Sorry about that."

"Wait, what?!" Bestinslot complained. She raised her right fist and slammed it down onto his face. And immediately he was completely knocked out.

He slowly opened his eyes to the darkened ceiling of the Chantelle and Eideard's stony residence. He was shrouded in a clean, brown blanket. He could feel the fiery warmth emanating from the fireplace next to him. He whiffed a scent of pork roasting by the fire. There were some savory and pungent herbs dashed on the pork.

He sat up straight looking into the fire. He realized now that he hasn't eaten in quite a while ever since the ship crashed. Pork looked as if it was done. He reached into the fire pit without any thought, except hunger. Bestinslot was about to grab the pork until a tiny hand gripped his wrist. It was Chantelle and this time her sleeves and hands were completely clean from blood.

"Now, now, Monsieur, let's not burn yourself. That would be bad for all of us." Chantelle warned graciously.

"Oh, sorry about that." Bestinslot apologized.

"Hou ar ye Bestinslot? Did mah wife treat ye well?" (How are you Bestinslot? Did my good wife treat you well?) A man asked. He had wavy amber hair. He sported a five o' clock shadow on his chin. And judging by his voice, it was Eideard without his helmet. He was sitting on a simple wooden chair design behind Bestinslot.

"You can say that I guess." Bestinslot answered, trying not to offend Chantelle.

"That's guid." (That's good) Eideard said. He soon took a small plate with a baked potato and slices of the pork and handed it over Bestinslot.

"Thank you, I'm starving." Bestinslot appreciated offer and took the potato.

Bestinslot feasted on the potato and pork slices. As he finished, he gazed into the fire-pit.

"So, how did you get here Bestinslot?" Chantelle asked.

He faced Chantelle and Eideard and told them the story that he can only assume.

Chantelle, was completely devastated by such news, and held her hands on her mouth. "I can't believe it. Thank the Lord that you are still alive."

Eideard sighed in sadness. "Those puir fowk, main they rest in peace." (Those poor folks, may they rest in peace.) He soon remarked, "They must've turned intae ghools." (They must have turned into ghouls.)

"Ghouls?" Bestinslot questioned in confusion.

"Oh, since you were not of this land, you do not know of the demons and monsters that lurk in the night." Chantelle stated. "You see, ghouls are basically people whose bodies are possessed by evil and lowly spirits. However, since their bodies are loosely possessed, ghouls pose little threat if they are alone because they can barely control their bodies. However in hordes, they are quite dangerous." She reported.

"So how about the skeleton that wielded a bow and arrow?" Bestinslot questioned Chantelle.

Eideard mentioned, "Those ur Death's Archers. They ur quite frail wee shits. Still deadly coz they can strike frae afar." (Those are Death's Archers. They are quite frail little shits. Still deadly because they can strike from afar.)

"Is there anymore other than those two?" Bestinslot inquired.

"Ay. Plenty mair." (Yes. Plenty more.) Eideard assured. "Thaur ur these demons 'at blends wi' th' forest. They ur th' Green Devils. They truly ur monsters. They dornt eat nur caur fur their ain safety. They woods jist explode an' kill themselves, if ye gie next tae them." (There are these demons that blend with the forest. They are called Green Devils. They are truly monsters. They don't eat nor care for their own safety. They would just explode and kill themselves, if you get next to them.)

"Not only that but there these other appalling creatures. Another demon of the night is the 'La Assassino Noire'." Chantelle added. "In English, 'The Assassin Black'."

"Ur tae whit mah knights called them, mirk lecht assassins. In a blink ay an yak, they can gie frae a bloody place tae anither. They ur taa an' gantin bastards. Sae it isnae stoaner tae miss them." (Or to what my knights called them, Dark Light Assassins. In a blink of an eye, they can get from one place to another. They are tall and ugly bastards. So it is not hard to miss them.) Eideard described the monster. "What's waur is 'at it takes thee ay mah men tae tak' doon a body thes horrid monsters. an' Ah only hae thirty-fife soldiers." (What's worse is that it takes three of my men to take down one this horrid monsters. And I only have thirty-five soldiers.) He complained.

"Then how can you live here then?" Bestinslot urged them to answer.

"Where can we go? There is no way we can get out of this place now. The ancestors of this community built a wonderful sanctuary for all of us to live in." Chantelle retaliated.

Bestinslot sighed. "Alright then, where are your guns?"

Eideard and Chantelle stared at him with quizzical expressions.

"What is a gin?" (What is a gun?) Eideard inquired.

Bestinslot dropped his jaw in amazement. "You don't know what a gun is."

"Nae sorry." (No sorry.) Eideard apologized for his lack of knowledge.

"It's fine. I'll tell you about them." Bestinslot told them what a gun is.

After Bestinslot's explanation of the gun, Chantelle and Eideard informed him that the only weaponry they have used are medieval.

"I think we should all rest for now." Chantelle advised. "It must have been a long day for the both of you."

"Ay, Ah agree." (Yes, I agree.) Eideard coincided with her. "Tha' moorns nicht morn, Bestinslot, ye an' Ah will heed it together an' help me wi' puckle things." (Tomorrow morning, Bestinslot, you and I will head out together and help me with a few things.) Eideard directed Bestinslot.

Before Bestinslot can retaliate, Eideard and Chantelle left him on his own at their living room. He sighed from his failure to react back against Eideard. He lay down at the couch and looked into the stony ceiling above.

"_So I will be here for a while now_." Bestinslot contemplated. "_Ugh, Why?!_" He complained. "_I won't be able to get back to my job, my fans, and my family! What will I do? They all must be devastated about me right now._" He imagined the all the heartache right now for all of them. He was sickened of the thought of them grieving over his was "death". He rejected all depressing thoughts of the people he loved being heartbroken over his situation. He wrapped himself in the sheets and fell asleep.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bestinslot wakes up to hear the sizzling of pork on an open fire. He opens his eyes to find Chantelle looming over the fireplace. She was still wearing the same clothing the day she met him. Her tan eyes glistened amber as her eyes were fixed onto the glowing flames of the fireplace. Bestinslot looked out to the window of the house and realize it was the break of dawn as the light of the sun has barely touched the windowsill.

He stood up from the couch and hobbled towards Chantelle. His legs, for some odd reason, feels as if they were carrying cement bricks on each heel. Bestinslot sluggishly raised his left arm and extended to pat on Chantelle's shoulder. She, however, turned around expeditiously with a plate of the pork in her hands. She then gestured herself of giving the piece of the pork to Bestinslot.

"Oh, uhm …. thank you." Bestinslot murmured his words and took the pork.

"It is no problem." Chantelle responded with enthusiasm. "How was your night?" She asked.

"It was wonderful. Thank you for hospitality and allowing me to sleep here." Bestinslot replied.

"Again, no problem."

Bestinslot scanned the room. "Where is your husband? Is he here?" He questioned her.

"Oh, that is right. Since you were sleeping like a baby, he didn't want to disturb you. My husband, instead, requested that you meet him at the village's blacksmith.

"Me?" Bestinslot confusedly pointed at himself.

She stared at him playfully and giggled, "Well, is there anyone in this village that is named Bestinslot?"

Bestinslot scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Chantelle grabbed a log nearby and threw it into the fireplace. "You better hurry then. My husband seemed very insistent that you should go there."

"Where do I go then?" He asked.

"Oh, my apologies. I forgot that you are new here." Chantelle promptly commented.

"It's fine."

"Okay, do you know the small hill that resides on other side of the town?" Chantelle asked.

"Uh, I guess … yes." Bestinslot responded.

"Good, go there. That is where you will find Blacksmith." She informed.

"Thank you." He gratefully said.

Bestinslot was about to exit the house until he stopped before the doorway. He felt guilty if he were to just leave Chantelle all alone in her house. He turned around to look at Chantelle. "What are you gonna do since you'll be alone here?"

"Me? Well, I was hoping to head outside and get some fresh air and maybe a few herbs." She answered.

"Oh, well ….. good luck with that then." Bestinslot assured her.

"Adieu, Mr. Bestinslot." Chantelle hurriedly articulated and waved goodbye.

Bestinslot exited out of the residence and shut the door gently on his way. He sauntered through the cobblestone path. He stopped at the town center that was bustling with several citizens of the town. They were quite wearing the normal attire of commoners or knights in the medieval European era. Despite the attire, the people were amazingly diverse as many of them were from various cultural and racial backgrounds.

"_Hey, am I dreaming and this is all a nightmare?_" Bestinslot thought to himself. "_I mean, I met monsters that are not comprehendible in modern science. And these people are using such old technologies. How have they not advanced even further?_" He analyzed about this place. "_Wait, however, everything has been very real throughout this entire course of events. When I encountered the creatures, I felt that maybe I am in actual danger. But dreams do that too. Ugh, it is all very complicated._" He thought even further. "Ugh, I should not be bothered by such thoughts." Bestinslot whispered to himself while scratching the back of his head in confusion.

In his little mental debate of what is real or not, he accidentally bumped into someone. He fell down and landed hard on his arse onto the cobblestone path. He ended up looking down on the soot covered leather boots of the person he crashed onto.

"I'm very sor–" Bestinslot attempted to apologize until he was interrupted by the immense presence of the person he bumped into.

The person towered over him with his large size and immensely strong build. The man was bald and had dark gray eyes. His clothes seemed like it was made out of pure white wool if it wasn't for the fact they were covered in black grime and was soaked with sweat. The man wielded an iron pickaxe covered in some dark soot in his left hand. And he held a large leather sack in the other hand.

The large caramel-colored gentleman dropped his leather bag, making a huge clack on the cobblestone floor. He stuck out his pink palm to Bestinslot, gesturing his willingness to assist Bestinslot up.

When he understood he just sat there for a short period of time, he attempted to stand respectably outright. "Oh god, I am very sorry for that." He flustered.

The man shrugged off the apology and attempted to the sack. Bestinslot, feeling remorseful for wasting the gentleman's time, decided to help him out with his luggage.

"Wait, let me help you." He said as he was about to pick up the pack. "It is the least I can do to for bumping into like that." He gripped on the leather skin of the bag and tried to bring it up. However, the sack was immensely heavy and barely lifted off from the ground. "Oh god. This is heavy isn't it?" He complained.

The fellow cracked a smile in pity of Bestinslot's foolish effort in transporting his bag. He shook his head in delight and picked up the bag with ease. The man then carried on his business to walking away with his equipment. Bestinslot, still saddened about spoiling even more of the man's time, decided instead to keep the man company.

He ran forward to the man's side, keeping his pace in synch with the colossal fellow. Bestinslot then started to make some small talk as they walked on.

"So, I'm sorry about that, again." He apologized. The man, listened intently but spoke with no words. "Um, so my name is Bestinslot. What is yours?" He asked. No answer. "Not much of a talker eh?" No response.

"_What is up with this guy? I mean, he surely looks like he means well._" Bestinslot inquired with himself. "_Am I annoying him?_" He thought and gazed ono the guy's light yet expressionless face. "_He surely doesn't look like I am being a nuisance._"

As he pondered further, he accidentally tripped on a cobblestone step. He luckily caught himself before getting his face planted on the jagged steps of the stony stairs. His acquaintance cracked another grinned on his face.

"_Oh dear god, this getting more and more embarrassing by the minute_." Bestinslot pondered in grief.

He stood up again to find the man climbing the grey cobblestone stairs. He expeditiously scampered up the stairs as well. When they reached to the top, it was a small, slender, rectangular shack. It was lain in area that is small, flat, and grassy. The wooden shack seems as if it hasn't had some good sprucing up for quite some time. There was a small pipe sticking out of the rooftop that is puffing out black smoke. The wooden door was carved with the insignia that the entire village exploit everywhere. Next to the doorway, laid a wooden rectangular sign. It bears a symbol that resembles a hammer hitting an anvil.

"Wait, this the Blacksmith's shop isn't it?" Bestinslot questioned the man.

He nodded his head in agreement.

"Then, are you the village's blacksmith?" He asked again.

Like before, he nodded in agreement.

The man dropped the rucksack again and scoured through his right pocket. He pulled out a rusty bronze key and fit it though the lock of door. There was a sharp click and the door slowly became wide open. In the little shack there was nothing at all except a gaping hole in the floor. The pit had a yellowish glowing light streaming out of it.

The man turned to Bestinslot and gestured his hands to follow him down there. The man then grabbed the rest of his belongings and dropped down the hole. Bestinslot reluctantly approached the glowing pit to find a wooden ladder to climb down to the glowing hollow below. Like a moth to a flame, Bestinslot was tempted to go and see what the blacksmith's shop was like underground. And so he did. He slowly descended down the bright pit, hoping to not be clumsy again and fall down accidentally. When he reached to the bottom, he noticed he is in a stony corridor filled with torches on each side. There were a few cobwebs in the corners of the floor and ceiling. At the end of the corridor there are two wooden doors with more lights streaming at the bottom of the doors.

Bestinslot opened the doors to find a brightly lit room lined with numerous torches. A clean glass counter was fixated at the other end of the room from the doors. The room had several display tables lined evenly. The tables revealed medieval and pre-industrial revolution weaponry and armour of all sorts. Many ranging from European blades to African shields to the oriental repeating crossbows. Basically, the shop sells all primitive weaponry and armour of the past except firearms.

He sauntered through the shop in awe of the vast arsenal the blacksmith has had to offer.

"Unbelievable." Bestinslot whispered. "This is amazing. How can you have made all these by yourself?" He asked in enthusiasm.

Still, the blacksmith utter out no words, but kept the grin of satisfaction of the appraisal. He placed his rucksack and pickaxe on the glass counter, smudging it with all their dirt and grime. The blacksmith then scoured through the tables, inspecting them with careful observation. The blacksmith occasionally peeked an eye towards Bestinslot as if he was examining him too. Eventually the blacksmith stopped in his tracks and pulled out a blue handkerchief from his pockets and wiped his hands with it. Once his hands were clean, he finally grabbed a beautiful blade and lifted it to the sky to examine it further in the light.

It had a hand guard that practically covers the entire fist with its intricate yet beautiful hand guard design. The design seemed twisted and narrow like a golden DNA strand. The sword had a straight and doubled-edged blade. The blade was wide and narrow and the tip of the blade seemed to extend about 90 centimetres.

"Magnificent, isnae it. (Magnificent, isn't it.)" The words were spoken in a familiar Scottish accent behind Bestinslot.

Bestinslot rotated his body to find Eideard approaching the room from the corridor. Eideard was donned his usual armour with his helmet being carried on his left arm. Eideard held a wide grin as he greeted the blacksmith and Bestinslot.

"Ah see, ye awreddy got acquainted wi' Amare. (I see, you already got acquainted with Amare.)" He commented.

"Yeah, it is more of an accidental and awkward meeting rather than getting properly acquainted." Bestinslot laughed in embarrassment while scratching his head. Bestinslot then asked, "By the way, how come he doesn't talk? I tried to make some conversation but he just smiles or grins."

Eideard's and Amare's grins sunken quickly and became small frowns. He looked to Amare and asked him, "Dae ye want tae shaw heem first ur dae Ah teel heem? (Do you want to show him first or do I tell him?)"

The blacksmith sighed and put the sword back to its display table. He approached Bestinslot with dull sadness. As soon as Amare was in breathing distance of Bestinslot, he opened his mouth. Bestinslot jumped in shock of the discovery of what was inside his mouth. Or rather he trembled on what wasn't in his mouth. There was barely tongue in Amare's maw, and it seemed like it was brutally severed by a jagged knife.

"Oh god!" Bestinslot staggered in horror. "Wha- what happened to him?!" He rushed his words in disgust.

"'at happened when Amare an' Ah waur barely men. (That happened when Amare and I were barely men.)" Eideard expressed in deep sorrow. "Mah faither an' Ah was huntin' some boars tae collect hide an' meat. We waur in th' wey o gang back tae th' village but we heard some screamin' nearby. (My father and I was hunting some boars to collect hide and meat. We were about to go back to the village but we heard some screaming nearby.)" He leaned and sighed in disgust of the horrible memory. "We foond a wee village 'at was raided an' pillaged by demons. They hud body ay a human, th' skin ay a ghool, a coopon ay a boar, an' wielded weapons loch a warriur. We foond Amare greetin' wi' bluid is droolin' frae his gob beside his dyin' parents. in their lest breaths, they said tae protect Amare. 'en those monsters showed up an' nearly surroonded us. Luckily, Amare helped us rin awa' frae those demons an' got it ay his village. When we returned tae uir village, we foond it they cut aff his tongue while we waur healin' heem. (We found a small village that was raided and pillaged by demons. They had body of a human, the skin of a ghoul, a face of a boar, and wielded weapons like a warrior. We found Amare crying with blood is drooling from his mouth beside his dying parents. In their last breaths, they said to protect Amare. Then those monsters showed up and nearly surrounded us. Luckily, Amare helped us run away from those demons and got out of his village. When we returned to our village, we found out they cut off his tongue while we were healing him.)"

Amare shuffled in discomfort and walked away from the conversation, still examining the blade. Bestinslot and Eideard gazed onto his walk in sympathy and regret. Bestinslot tried to assure his condolences with Amare, but he couldn't utter out a word. Eideard then attempted to change this foul mood in the room.

"Sae by th' way, ye, me, an' Amare ur gonnae it an' visit 'at abandoned buildin' 'at ye sheltered in. Ah got ye some leaither armur fur ye tae use. Ah also speart Amare if ye coods use a blade tae protect yerself jist in case. (So by the way, you, me, and Amare are going out and visit that abandoned building that you sheltered in. I got you some leather armour for you to use. I also asked Amare if you could use a blade to protect yourself just in case.)" Eideard said to Bestinslot.

Bestinslot asked in confusion, "What why me?"

"Ah main need mair fowk wi' me an' Ah cannae spaur onie guards. sae 'at is wa Ah chose ye. (I may need more people with me and I cannot spare any guards. So that is why I chose you.)" Eideard responded. He sauntered to the counter in the shop and pulled out the leather armour he talked about.

The armour was consisted of a simple leather vest with some pockets on the stomach area. Eideard then tossed some flat shoulder pads to Bestinslot. . Bestinslot, interested what wearing such armour is like, decided to strap on the armour. To his surprise, it fits pretty well with amazing flexibility in the armour. Once he was done strapping his body armour, he was given a belt carry for his blade and sheath. After buckling the belt on, Amare entered the room once more with the blade he was holding earlier in its leather scabbard.

Amare handed the blade to Eideard. Eideard inspected the blade himself and grinned to Amare. "Stoatin wark mah mukker, as aye. (Great work my friend, as always.)" Eideard was then about to give the sword to Bestinslot but stopped midway. Eideard then warned him, "Min', use th' Schiavona only when we can't help ye. Kin. (Remember, use the Schiavona only when we can't help you. Understand.)"

Bestinslot in reluctance to even wield the weapon, blurted out "Yes, I will." Eideard then handed him the sword and head out the shop. Bestinslot looked into the direction of Amare. There he found Amare wearing similar leather armour but attains the village's symbol on the chest region of the leather armour. And Amare dons shiny iron pauldrons and cuisses instead of Bestinslot's leather variants. Amare also wielded a small, circular shield that is outfitted to worn by his large hands. And the shield has this large half orb that is protruding from the centre of the metal shield. Amare has holstered in his waist strap what appears to be a thick iron rod. A large, spiked ball is sitting menacingly on the other end of the rod. A morning star.

All three of them exited out of the village to be found walking in an open, but dry field of grass. Bestinslot then started asking questions.

"Eideard, why are we going to that place?"

"Ye see, beforehain thaur waur a crew ay foreigners 'at lived thaur afair. (You see, beforehand there were a group of foreigners that lived there before.)" Eideard answered nonchalantly. "They frequently come intae uir community Fur quite some time. But suddenly they stopped comin'. Ah was woriat an' wanted tae see everythin' is okay. But it seems they left th' buildin' wi' everythin' inside. Noo, Ah jist want kin wa they left sae Ah aft visit thaur tae scoor onie knowledge ay whaur they gang. (They frequently come into our community for quite some time. But suddenly they stopped coming. I was worried and wanted to see everything is okay. But it seems they left the building with everything inside. Now, I just want understand why they left so I often visit there to scour any knowledge of where they go.)" Eideard commented.

"Why do you need Amare and I?" He questioned even further.

"Recently it has gotten mair radge wi' mair demons spawnin' in. an' Ah can't spaur anymair soldiers tae gang wi' me since they need tae swatch efter th' village. At leest Amare has finished his assignments fur th' week. Sae he can come alang. An' ye ….. ye will help lessen mah time spendin' thaur. (Recently it has gotten more dangerous with more demons spawning in. And I can't spare anymore soldiers to go with me since they need to look after the village. At least Amare has finished his assignments for the week. So he can come along. And you ….. you will help lessen my time spending there.)"

"Oh, geez, thanks." Bestinslot emitted the words sarcastically. "Oh, can I ask one more thing since it will be a long trudge?"

"Gang aheid. (Go ahead.)"

"How did Amare become a blacksmith anyway?" Bestinslot inquired.

"Och. Amare hud tae contribute tae th' community since he was noo livin' thaur. An' th' former blacksmith was gettin' auld, we hud tae replace 'er. An', amazingly, she travelled practically a' place in th' warld. Sae she hud a lot ay things tae teach amaur. Eventually, efter a coople ay years, she taught amaur everythin'. 'en amaur becam th' famoos blacksmith ay the-day. (Oh. Amare had to contribute to the community since he was now living there. And the former blacksmith was getting old, we had to replace her. And, amazingly, she travelled practically everywhere in the world. So she had a lot of things to teach Amare. Eventually, after a couple of years, she taught Amare everything. Then Amare became the famous blacksmith of today.)"

"Wow. Did not expect that." Bestinslot expressed his amazement.

When they were socializing, they eventually were at their destination. The structure was just as decrepit as Bestinslot had left it. Astonishingly, he did notice the broken glass that practically plague every window of the building. The some stones already fell off the building in disrepair. And a few vines hang here and there all over the place.

"Gosh, I did not know it was this much in disrepair already." Bestinslot commented optimistically joking.

Eideard and Amare smirked at his positivity but spoke no words. They immediately open the front doors of the structure and entered it slowly. Each footstep they made was like a feather hitting the floor, silent. Bestinslot remembered everything quite vividly from the first floor. Everything was still the way he found and left it. The books, the pillars, the desks, everything. Even the lights were still brightly on as if it wasn't even in the day. Oddly enough though, the cobwebs are gone.

"Bestinslot, ye bide haur in th' first fluir an' search ben aw those books. Ah main hae missed somethin' when Ah first cam haur. Amare, ye an' Ah will be scoorin' in th' upper floors. Gang. (Bestinslot, you stay here in the first floor and search through all those books. I may have missed something when I first came here. Amare, you and I will be scouring in the upper floors. Go.)" Eideard ordered in a captain-like manner, as if he was dealing with real soldiers.

Bestinslot and Amare nod silently in agreement with the commands. Eideard and Amare travelled up the wooden stairs, making the footsteps of silence with each step. Bestinslot scoured through the books. He walked to the nearest bookshelf to the left and combed each shelf with diligence. Eventually, he picked out a random bulky book from the shelf. The book was designed with a red, hard cover with no cover picture whatsoever. When he flipped through the pages, however, its pages are depicting 2015's genetic altercations and breakthroughs of the modern world.

"What in the world …." Bestinslot whispered to himself. "_This is not what I expect._" He thought. He started scouring through the rest of the literature to find them pertaining to events that has happen in the past two years about bio-engineering and genetics. "_Are these so called foreigners are actually people of the modern era? Much more so are they scientists? Why are they here then?_"

So many questions, flooded his mind. However, he fell out of that quizzical trance when he heard Eideard's shocked screams. By the sound of it, the screams are originating in the bed room, third floor. He dashed up the stairs with sword at hand, ready to strike at any given moment. When he was at the lounge, he noticed a blackish red, barbed tail slithering up the third floor. At the sight of the tail, he flinched in fear, thinking what monstrosity could be slithering up the floor. But he remembered his allies are in trouble and are need of his help. So toughened up and expeditiously head up the third floor.

When he reached the bedroom floor, the entirety of the area was occupied by four giant red scorpions. They were surrounding Amare and Eideard as they circled them in the centre of the room. Amare, in the corner of his eye, saw Bestinslot standing at the peak of the staircase. He signalled with his hand to run away from here. Bestinslot, understood full well that he should run away. But he could not abandon his friends to these monsters. Nonetheless, he was going to be out of the third floor whether he was compliant or defiant.

A dark red scorpion noticed Bestinslot with one of its eyes. It turned to him and crawled quickly like a rat towards him. It hissed like a rattlesnake preparing to strike as it was mad dashing towards him. Bestinslot, unsure of what to do, was forced to run downstairs to face the creature there. Once he landed on the centre of the lounge, he turned to the creature. Bestinslot was then embraced by the sight of all the scorpion's foulness.

The scorpion was just like the size of a Great Dane. Its claws were fat and tremendous with small spikes to make gripping easier for its pincers. Its eyes were dark red with two huge, dominant eyes were close together on the upper region of the scorpion's face. Its smaller three eyes were more evenly spread out on the bottom of its face. The scorpion's exoskeleton shine red by the illuminating lights of the room. The tail was raised high in the air with its barbed stinger black and ready to strike. Its fangs protrude from its mouth with clear slime oozing out, as if it haven't eaten for a while. And it found a perfect meal to satisfy it. Him.

It lunges itself with the stinger in front of it. Bestinslot strafed to the left and managed to avoid a huge poisonous hook impaling into his brain. However through its charge, the scorpion accidentally stabbed its stinger into the wooden wall of the room. Bestinslot then to see if he could kill it in one shot. He hastened to the left side of the scorpion, noticing that the scorpion is struggling violently to remove the stinger. He raised the Schiavona high in air, readying himself to thrust sword straight into the abdomen of the scorpion. In a quick stab, he thrust the blade down, believing he killed the monster.

No, he didn't. The scorpion's exoskeleton was tough and managed to bounce the blade from its body. The scorpion then throttled his stomach with a rapid smack with its pincers. Bestinslot was knocked back to the stairs to where he tumbled down to the first floor. His body landed face down on the wooden floor. The scorpion then swiftly reached down to the end of the staircase, hissing in complete anger and primal instinct. Bestinslot noticed the creature and lifted himself to prepare another tussle against the arachnid.

When he raised himself, he could feel a cold liquid running down his face. He touched his forehead and found large traces blood on his hand.

"_Crap!_" He cursed in his mind. "_Ok, ok. I'm fine. I am not dead yet. No need to panic._" He assured himself.

Before he could prepare for another attack, the scorpion launched itself to Bestinslot with pincers spread out. He rolled to the right and dodged the attack. He readies the Schiavona again, this time in a basic stance.

"_It is fine, I have played enough games and watched enough movies to fight like this._"

This scorpion is now angered about its tedious prey. It began crawling left and right as if it was trying to deceive its prey with claws open and stinger raised. Bestinslot, however, decided to break its stance by making a flurry of irresponsible slashes. The scorpion managed to dodge every slash and countered his assault by swinging its right claw. It knocked Bestinslot back into a bookshelf that brought all the books to tumble down on him. He fell down hard onto the floor with the blade still at hand. The scorpion readies the stinger to thrust down into the unfortunate fool.

Bestinslot thought, "_Am I actually going to die here?!_" However, in the corner of his eye, he saw an opening to attack the scorpion's face while lying on the floor. "_No, I am not dying here._" He gripped onto his Schiavona and thrust the blade into one of the scorpion's pupils. It retracted in pain and crawled backwards from Bestinslot. He then leapt up into the air to pick himself back up.

The scorpion was completely enraged and leapt into the air furiously. He grabbed a nearby hardback book and flung into the scorpion's direction. It hit the scorpion on one of its eyes, stunning the creature. Bestinslot, in the heat of the moment, kicked the creature upwards. The kick sent the arachnid to lie flat on the ground, thus making it struggle to pick itself back up.

"_Hmm, if I can't kill it because of its armour from topside, how about its underbelly._"

He slashed the tail, hoping he could stop it from flailing around. He managed to cut the nerves and ligaments to stop the scorpion's tail thrashing about. The tail is still there but with a noticeable cut is through the soft underbelly of the tail. Now, he stomped onto the scorpion's claw and finally stabbed the arachnid with all his might down to its supposed brain cavity. There, the arachnid stopped moving. It stopped making noises. It stopped fighting. It is stopped living.

His entire body was tense and incapable of moving. Bestinslot slumped down on his arse and left the blade impaled into the scorpion. He gazed into his first kill, watching the green ooze slowly dripping from his blade.

"_God, how do people enjoy this stuff; killing a creature without remorse or care._" Bestinslot contemplated. "_But it was either him or me. It's fine._" Bestinslot thought.

However, from behind him he had heard another hiss of danger. He turns around and found another large scorpion launching its way towards him. He tries to move out of the way but cannot. He is frozen by both fear and the numbness of his muscles fighting one giant arachnid. He closes his eyes to not see the horrid fate that awaits him.

But Bestinslot was saved when Amare punched the arachnid in the abdomen with the buckler shield. It blasted the horrendous abomination to the wall. There was a distinct snap of the exoskeleton armour breaking by the impact. The scorpion attempts to get its bearings straight after that blow from Amare. However, Amare will not take any risks. He rushed the scorpion and smacked the creature upwards with the morning star. It landed with a huge thump on the room. The scorpion was bleeding excessively now and was basically near death. But Amare understood its suffering and smashed the head, with its exoskeleton armour on, and eviscerated the entire cranium of the scorpion.

After the deed was done, Eideard and Amare rushed to Bestinslot's damaged position.

"Mah mukker, can ye donner ur dae ye need mah help? (My friend, can you walk or do you need my help?)" Eideard asked sincerely.

"It's fine. I feel fine. No need to worry." Bestinslot attempted to assure them.

However Amare and Eideard were not convinced. They removed their armour and rip apart pieces of their shirts. Then they used the cloth as makeshift bandages for Bestinslot's bleeding head.

"Dae ye need anythin' else? (Do you need anything else?)" Eideard asked some more.

"Guys, you've done so much. I don't need anything else." Bestinslot said cheerfully.

"Ur ye sure? (Are you sure?)"

"Yes."

"Okay. If ye say sae mah mukker. (Okay. If you say so my friend.)" Eideard stated. "I'll heed back tae th' village an' gie mah guidwife tae collect some medical herbs fur ye. Amare, ye will secure th' area ootwith ay th' buildin' frae onie unwanted visitors. (I'll head back to the village and get my wife to collect some medical herbs for you. Amare, you will secure the area outside of the building from any unwanted visitors.)" Eideard ordered again like a true captain.

They collected their armour and equipment and head outside the structure. Leaving Bestinslot to rest for now. Bestinslot sighed and uttered softly, "Those guys. So caring for me even though I just met them for a day basically." He scanned the room and saw the bookshelf he crashed into. Upset with all this cluttered texts on the floor, Bestinslot desired to put them all back to shelf orderly. He hobbled towards the texts on the floor and picked up some of the books to put them all back to the shelf.

However he noticed something from the back of the shelf while those books back. It was this obvious rectangular, grey button just sitting there behind all those texts. He reached into it and attempted on to press this strange button. It was barely out of reach and he could not press no matter how he struggled. He sighed in frustration and looked into sword by the scorpion's corpse. He grabbed the sword and tried to poke the button with blade's tip. He pressed it and there he heard a sharp click of something unlocking behind him.

**Author's Note:** **I apologize for the upload dates being separated from each other in such a long time. I was overworked with dealing school work and finals that I was incapable of posting new chapters. I am sorry of this and future inconveniences like this. Hopefully, I will be capable of posting new chapters frequently. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Bestinslot turned around and found a large square platform slightly sticking out the wooden floorboards. He stepped closer to the platform and slightly stomp on it to see what happens. As soon as he placed his foot on it, the platform opened downwards. Inside was a passage that was comprised of clean white tiles and an untouched metal ladder. Something was shining a bright white light from below the end of the passage. Curious of what is emanating that light, he descended down the ladder.

As he has gotten to the bottom of the tunnel, the corner of his right eye was blinded by the light. After his eyes were adjusted, he was flooded by the sight of a scenery that he did not expect. He had entered a white tiled room filled with modern technology and has staircase that led to the upper floor of the room.

He noticed a silvery, rectangular desk that takes the center of the room. Two desktop computers were positioned on each end of the counter and their wires seemed as if they were connected to the silver desk. At the center of the desk laid a complete skeleton of infantile Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"_Oh my god. What the hell is this place?_" Bestinslot mentally commented.

Bestinslot slowly climbed up the staircase and spotted a large glass pane to the side of the wall. Through the glass plane was a miniature underground forest. It was filled with various underbrush and grasses. It would seem this is like an exhibit of biological plant life living in an enclosed area. By the right side of the exhibit was a large metal sliding gate. By its size, it was probably a passage for loading large materials.

"_Huh, I wonder where this gate could lead._"

He grasped onto the handle and pulled with all his might. But by a mere little opening of the gate caused a drastic result. A foul and pungent scent coated the area as soon as he opened the gate.

"Bloody Nora! What the hell was that?!" Bestinslot cried in disgust. He covered his nose with his shirt and was tearing by the scent. He nearly threw up on the floor if he wasn't able to control himself. Still, he ventured on through the gate discover what is emanating that distasteful scent. When he gone through the entrance, he was inside the exhibit behind the glass. The scent was getting more powerful.

"Holy hell! What is dying in there?!" He joked, badly.

He scoured through the exhibit to find only beautiful plant life but not the source of disgusting odor. When he pressed deeper into the exhibition, he finally found the source of the repulsive stench. It was a rotting corpse of animal.

"_Blech, guess I found what is causing this putrid scent._"

Still, something was odd about the creature. It was a fairly huge creature really. If it were to stand up by just looking at it, it would probably be taller than Bestinslot. And it has a strange skull, like a huge lizard with a double crest running up from its snout to the other end of the skull. Its body was quite slender but immensely large nonetheless. Strangely, it also carried talons for both its hands and feet. And there were a few yellowish-green feathers that was rested nearby the body. And its skin were quite reptile-like in nature. If he weren't to know any better, the creature could possibly be a Dilophosaurus.

"No, it can't be. Could it?" Bestinslot remarked.

Knowing full well that the scent is stomach churning, he had to step closer to the body to further examine it. He went beside the corpse, and held the rotting skull closer to his face.

"The skull seems about right. So is the rest of the body." Bestinslot whispered to himself. He runs his hand to feel the skin and partially the flesh. "Yup, that is real." He squealed in revulsion. "_Why is a dead dilophosaurus here anyway? Actually, why is there a dead and rotting dilophosaurus?_" He consulted with himself. He dropped the head slowly and walked out of the exhibit and closed the door to seal away the putridness. "_What were these people doing here?_"

As he walked down the stairs, he saw the computer and the large desk that it resides on.

"_Maybe I could get some information from there._"

He strutted to the desk and opened some drawers. Some of these drawers wielded strange directions on genealogical structuring and reports of experimental serums and whatnot. However, one instructional document's title caught his eye. It was titled "Modern Dinosaur Resurrection".

"Interesting." He said. He opened the document and found an odd summary. He reads through it.

_Experiment report, Dr. Benjie Malachi Date: 7/25/XXXX_

_Concerning the recent accomplishments with the experiments, we have found and constructed the best instrument and solution for the recreation of the prehistoric animals. Though, this would be considered unnatural as people might say, it does not matter to us. It brings results and fortune. It is exactly the perfect instrument on what we need for the company. Do not worry. They are authentic as they can be. And with great training and respect, the creatures are loyal to their owners or superiors. My colleagues have followed these solutions and instructions and have received positive statistics from their experiments._

_The materials we require, are quite unexpected. Materials included:_

_Human brain tissue _

_9 KL of Water_

_15 KL of Protein_

_17 KL of Minerals_

_11 KL of Vitamins_

_14 KL of Lipids_

_10 mL of AG Serum_

_DNA of a Prehistoric Creature_

_If we want the experiment to be correctly functional as we wanted it to, it is imperative that these materials are obtained. Without these requirements, we might have an intelligently challenged creature or a physically unstable animal. And with our new culture vats that we constructed, the development cycle of these animals are cut exponentially. Within a day, we could have these creatures be in their juvenile stages. Adult sizes however, we are incapable of reaching such lengths. _

_Also the culture vats we have constructed are automatic. They are capable of composing the organism on their own without assistance. Steps required:_

_After culture vat is filled with the necessary liquids, place the brain tissue and DNA_

_Set the culture vat to SET: #67_

_Wait (Approx. 10 – 12 hours)_

_Press the eject button_

_The animal will be waiting to be disciplined and train_

_We have stored the three DNA, two brain tissues, and 50 mL of the AG Serum to our cryogenic storage chambers. And we just need a few more liters of Lipids and Vitamins for one of the three culture vats. The project is fool-proof, our investors would be pleased with our experiments and their results._

_End of summary_

Bestinslot scoured through the document and found the rest data either missing or removed. He closed the document and placed it back where he found it. He was amazed by how advanced the technology that has been constructed. It almost seemed impossible. He wished he could test it for himself, but he needs to prioritize himself.

"_All this stuff is great and all. But with this modern technology and more, maybe I could find some way to communicate with the outside world._" He pondered. He looked to the computer and turned it on.

The screen immediately flashed white and eventually adapted itself to a "Golden Labrador playing in a sandy Beach" wallpaper. There was no internet connection and there was only one application in the computer, nothing else. The application was titled "Research Vlogs".

"_Okay, this might be useful to me._" He said as he opened the file. Once the file opened up, it has videos of past researches. He tried opening the beginning videos, however they ended up as corrupted files. He swept through the rest to find at least one accessible one. At research vlog #95, he was capable of viewing this it without it being corrupted. Sadly the audio quality was horrid but he was able to make out the words.

The video popped up with a husky man in a long white lab coat and gray pants. He was donning a pair of round, rainbow shaded glasses. His hair was sprout up. Behind him was a thick evergreen forest with the rays of the morning sun descending down on the scenery. Beside him was person in a heavily armored combat suit with a gas mask and black helmet.

"I am Dr. Benjie Malachi. I am with my assigned colleague, Dr. Vic." He introduced himself and the person beside him in a thick Filipino accent. "We are starting to make another test of the sensory effectiveness of the dilophosaurus #3.

"Ahem, you mean little Stuart." Dr. Vic reminded him.

"Please, Doctor, refrain from having any personal relations with the experiments. It will make our job a lot less difficult if you do so." Dr. Malachi sighed in annoyance.

"No." Dr. Vic retaliated in a childish manner.

Dr. Benjie Malachi sighed again and declared, "Let us begin the experiment." He side-stepped out of view and behind him was a dilophosaurus that was fully grown and asleep. It carried a dark green tint as skin pattern. It made the beast nearly blend in with the surroundings if it weren't for the bright orangey-red crest that it struts about with. There were small traces of light green feathers running along its arms and legs.

Dr. Vic approached the sleeping monster with caution. On her hands was a fluffy and adorable white rabbit, with its coat being soaked in its own blood. She placed the decaying rabbit near the dilophosaurus's nostrils. It began sniffing it and within three seconds, the dilophosaurus opened its eyes. Its irises were bloodshot with a dark orange tint and its onyx colored pupils contracted. It lifted its head up high into the air, scanning the dead rabbit. It examined the corpse with extreme attention. Once it deemed it safe to consume, it ripped the bunny off of the doctor's hands and tore into its bloody snack. Once it was finished, all that was left of the mammal was traces of white fur on the doctor's hands. It began chanting this ear piercing roar and screech, signaling that it was satisfied with the treat it had received.

Dr. Malachi then advanced towards the creature without fear or doubt. He held up a piece of metal to the animal. It probably looked like scrap that you get from dismantling a computer. The dilophosaurus's eyes dilated in gentleness and sniffed out the metal.

"Yes, good boy. Alright try to take us home okay." Dr. Malachi commanded it soothingly.

The dilophosaurus raised its head up high again. It began scanning the available surroundings. Eventually it stopped and made a mad dash to a direction. The scientists picked up their camera and attempted to catch up with the beast. They travelled quickly through the dense woodland forest but the camera was capable of catching it all in great quality. However, the audio in caught with the camera ear-grating still.

After a few minutes of running about in the woods, the dilophosaurus stopped in its tracks before a docking station. The dock seemed quite intact and was filled with empty boats. There was a small garage beside the docks that housed in two ATVs and two motorcycles. And the ground at the docks were complete hard cement. The sounds of waves and seagulls cawing echoed throughout the video. It was however drowned out by the loud and obnoxious panting of the scientists.

"Damn it, it did it again." Dr. Vic cursed. "Why in hell are the carnivores always mistaking our research facility with the other amenities we have been supplied with?!" She yelled.

"Maybe … the scent of … our research facility ….. are similar to other places." Dr. Benjie Malachi answered while trying to catch his breath.

"Could be. It is possible these other structures remind them of home as well." Dr. Vic agreed to the theory.

"For now … we should head … back to our real … home." Dr. Malachi wheezed.

"Alright, I'll turn off the camera." Dr. Vic notified him. The video ends there.

"Bestinslot stood there for a few moments, trying to comprehend what was on there. "Okay. That was bloody worthless." He stated aggressively. He tried to research with more videos to find anything more useful. However everything was either ended up corrupted or inexplicably bad quality overall. His only hope of information was the research vlog #95.

He watches the video again and again. He watched it for the fourth time until he stopped at the scene with the docks. He checked the date of the time when the video was recorded, February 24, XXXX.

"Hmm, that wasn't too far ago. Maybe I can ….." Bestinslot said. He stopped viewing the screen and walked around the room, in search of something. He found a metal door with black and yellow stripes running along its borders. Beside the doorway was a sign stating, Culture Vat Room. He opened the doors and saw that these vats are filled with all the necessary materials and are operational.

"Jackpot. Now where is this cryogenic storage chambers." He whispered energetically.

He went up the staircase and found the Cryogenic Storage Chamber sign looming over two metal doors on the far right side of the upper floor. He opened the doors to have a burst of icy air breezed through him. He shivered by the icy welcome and entered the chambers. The chambers were in a small boxed shape. The walls were painted in a faint periwinkle tint. A thick icy mist enveloped entirety of the floor below him that it was impossible to see your own feet. The chambers held several compartments that covered every wall in the chamber.

On the very top of the walls loomed several signs, each stating the general materials of the compartments below them. The left wall's sign stated, Fossilized DNA. The middle wall's sign identified the compartments below it as, Serums. The right wall's sign displayed as, Human DNA. He swept through the Fossilized DNA section and found the three DNA's. DNA #957: Ankylosaurus, DNA #548: Triceratops, and DNA #643: Deinonychus.

He picked up DNA #643: Deinonychus. He then searched the other sections to find the vials of AG Serum and the Brain Tissue #521. He laughed maniacally. He knows his plan to use the creature for escape is slim. But it is the risk he has to take.

"Yes. I can go back home." Bestinslot declared with a maniacal grin.

**Author's Note: After this chapter, my readers, you'll be subjected to a certain plot twist that may be deem as unacceptable to you guys. It is all an experimentation really. I however will keep the experimentation as it is the only way, with my experience, to add in a certain drama to the story. I'm sorry for the dissatisfaction of the future chapters. Also, I may have been extremely lazy with this chapter so I also apologize for that. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bestinslot realized how long he had been here and decided to put away all the DNAs and materials back to their respective places. He climbed up the ladder, hoping to be up there to avoid making his friends worry more about him. Once he reached the surface, he closed the trapdoor with a huge bang, hearing the sharp click of the trapdoor closing. He looked out the window and saw the sky in its orangey-red stage, the sign of danger coming soon. Luckily, he also saw his friends running towards him with Chantelle running ahead of them.

Chantelle and the others burst through the door, scaring Bestinslot to stumble down to a corner. Chantelle rushed to Bestinslot's side and removed her leather sack.

"I'll remove the bandage, okay." Chantelle assured Bestinslot. She gently unraveled the makeshift wrappings and peered into his open wound. "Okay, it is not that serious. But to avoid any sickness, I have to put this on you." She said while she revealed a murky green substance in a fat vial. She removed the cork of the vial and an ominous green vapor rose from the bottle. To make matters worse, the scent of the chemical smells just like the rotting dilophosaurus, maybe even worse. Bestinslot nearly hurled by just faintly smelling it and made a gulp of disgust. Chantelle ignored his silent complaint and proceed with pouring the liquid to a clean rag.

"This will sting … a lot." She warned. Chantelle immediately placed the foul rag on his bleeding injury, rubbing the rag on the cut with mild gentleness. However, no matter what she did, the chemicals were painfully burning his head. It felt like his head was getting burned with a branding iron. After a few moments of rubbing the rag on him, she stopped and replaced his blood soaked bandage with a new, clean version.

Eideard smirked and commented playfully, "Hoo is th' heed eh? It feels a hunder times better reit? (How is the head eh? It feels a hundred times better right?)"

Bestinslot sarcastically replied, "Yeah, a whole lot better. I think I am hundred times smarter." He laughed nervously at his joke. Everyone just looked at him with bid smirk.

"Okay, Ah am nae longer gonnae endanger mah friends loch 'at anymair. Bestinslot, Amare, ye tois will be stayin' at th' village frae noo oan. Ah don't want tae lose guid men loch ye troaps. (Okay, I am no longer going to endanger my friends like that anymore. Bestinslot, Amare, you two will be staying at the village from now on. I don't want to lose good men like you guys.)" Eideard said with regret.

Bestinslot realized something as he spoked those words. He wished to be here more so he can get back home. And he can't tell them about the lab, they may hinder on his plans about going back. They might think he is either insane or demonic in creating new monsters for them to worry about. He doesn't want them to have any more burdens. But he desperately needs to get back home.

"Wait, I … am going to stay here in this place for the time being." Bestinslot retaliated. Everyone went silent and bug-eyed after hearing his words. Chantelle placed both of her hands on Bestinslot's shoulders. And soon she shook the man violently with great force.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" She shrieked at him. "Those monsters will kill you monsieur if they figured out how to go through those broken windows!" She exclaimed as she is still trembling Bestinslot.

"Ah agree. Ur ye feelin' alrecht ur has yer min' gotten dumber insteid? (I agree. Are you feeling alright or has your mind gotten dumber instead?)" Eideard remarked.

"Wa- wait. Let me explain." He asked them. Chantelle halted on her agressive shaking of Bestinslot to let the man speak. "While I was searching through the house, I found a magical book that revealed the ways to make me obedient servants and protectors." He lied.

"_Actually, that isn't half bad of a lie. Totally believable right?_" He pondered.

Chantelle, doubtful of his words, asked, "Where is this magical book then?"

"It dissolved. Into thin air." He quickly answered.

Amare and Eideard as well, were skeptical of what he said. Bestinslot kneeled down to them and begged, "Please, trust me in this."

Eideard, unsure on what to do, responded, "Lit us gang back tae th' village fur noo. It is gettin' late. We will gab abit thes later. (Let us go back to the village for now. It is getting late. We will talk about this later.)"

Everyone approved on the suggestion and they left the area as soon as possible. By the time they had reached the village, the moon loomed over them in the blackened sky. Amare went up to his little hill and the rest of them went to Chantelle and Eideard's abode. Eideard stripped off all of his armor and put them to a nearby table. Chantelle removed her medical bag on the same table. Bestinslot just placed his gear onto the floor. Chantelle and Eideard sat on the couched and stared into the fire.

Bestinslot, attempted to convince them to let him stay at the forsaken building. "Guys, please, I need to do this."

"Why?" Chantelle demanded.

"Because…." Bestinslot started to think of a fib. "Because I can make these servants also protect your village."

Eideard, looked into his eyes, signaling Bestinslot got his attention. "Pure? (Really?)" He asked Bestinslot.

"Eideard!" Chantelle screamed in reprisal. "Even if what he says is true, summoning servants is black magic. And the People of the Sun despises such magic."

"People of the Sun?" Bestinslot asked quizzically.

"Uir fowk, we worship th' sin fur it has protected us frae th' monsters. 'At is wa uir insignia is gauld an' looks loch th' sin. (Our people, we worship the Sun for it has protected us from the monsters. That is why our insignia is gold and looks like the sun.)" Eideard answered Bestinslot. He then faced his wife, "Chantelle, we need thes. Th' capability ay cheil can gang sae far. b\But wi' his help, ur sae he says, we don't hae tae fash yerse sae much. An' mebbe we coods raise a bairn withit me bein' absent aw th' time. (Chantelle, we need this. The capability of man can go so far. But with his help, or so he says, we don't have to worry so much. And maybe we could raise a child without me being absent all the time.)"

"Eideard, I love you for thinking about the village and me above yourself." She soothingly said. She spun herself to Bestinslot, "But what happens if these creatures run amok?"

Bestinslot knows full well what could happen if that were to happen, but he has to try. "Then, I'll take full responsibility. If it was ever that bad, then you can kill me for it." He declared.

In the corner of his mind, "_Oh crap! Why did I say that?!_"

Chantelle and Eideard watched him in complete silence after his declaration. Then they stared at themselves. Chantelle eventually broke the silence and reacted jokingly, "Sure. That is definitely a good way on things like that."

Eideard nodded in agreement. "'At is settled 'en. Ye can bide thaur, an' in return, ye gie us yer servants tae help protect th' village. (That is settled then. You can live there, and in return, you give us your servants to help protect the village.)"

Then the couple left the Englishman to his own while they head to bed. He stood there with jaw open wide and in a shocked expression in his eyes. Nonetheless, Bestinslot grabbed his blanket and lay down on the sofa. He looked up into the dark ceiling. He pondered on what to do.

"_I need to get out of here and into home. But they expect a creature to protect them. Maybe once I'm done with the Deinonychus, I could tell it to live with them._" He wondered. But a doubts had entered into his mind. "_But what happens if they want a servant creature now. Ugh._" He complained. "_Hmm, there was that Triceratops DNA. I guess I could recreate a Triceratops for them. Yeah, that makes sense._" He thought. Already deciding on what to do for tomorrow, he closed his eyes and gently fell asleep.

* * *

He woke up and found Chantelle and Eideard having a conversation by the fireplace. He rose from the sofa and groggily greeted them a happy morning. They returned the sentiments and went on their separate ways. Chantelle sat down on a chair near the table they put all their belongings. Her brown hair was glimmering by the morning sun, making her seemed heavenly. But her chestnut-colored eyes appeared to be racked with sorrow and sadness. Bestinslot, sat at the other side of the table across from her.

Curious on how she was feeling he asked, "What's wrong Chantelle? Did something happen?"

Chantelle grimly stared at him for a while, then uttered, "Bestinslot?" His ears twitched to her words, signaling she has his attention. "Please, don't betray Eideard."

Flabbergasted by the statement, he inquired her, "What do you mean betray him?"

"My husband is really gullible and he trust people very easily. Don't use that against him to further your own agendas please." Chantelle informed him.

He understood what she means, and he has no attention to do so as she said. With confidence in his voice, "Trust me, Chantelle. I will never do that to him. Or to anyone here."

"That's good." She complied. She stared out into the living room and revealed a secret, "You know, my best friend was taken away by monsters in front of me."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what it is like to see a loved one taken away personally." He expressed his sentiments.

"It is a horrible feeling. Makes you want to kill yourself with the guilt" She said as she stifled out a cry. "Eideard, cared for me quite sometime after that … event. He made me laugh, have fun, care … love. He brought me his arm when I cried. He brought me his blade when I needed it to kill a devil. He brought me his soul when I needed it the most." She rambled on.

"He is a good man. I know people like that. They are a joy to be with." He commented with his sympathy.

"I'm glad for what you said." She faintly smiled. "That is why, if he was ever taken away from me, I will stab the monster in his or her eyes with Eideard's sword. And I will decapitate its head and put right above the fireplace." She snarled.

Bestinslot gulped in horror. "_Well that escalated quickly!_" He contemplated nervously. "_But I understand._"

As soon as she was done intimidating Bestinslot, Eideard and Amare came into the kitchen with glass bottles of milk, a loaf of bread, and a Gouda cheese wheel. He was already in his knight armor. He placed the groceries on the table.

"Sorry ye tois, thes woods be yer breakfest fur the-day. th' fairmers weren't sellin' onie meat fur the-day. nur th' hunters. (Sorry you two, this would be your breakfast for today. The farmers weren't selling any meat for today. Nor the hunters.)"

Bestinslot and Chantelle expressed their gratitude in synch, "Don't worry. It is fine."

The group of four sat down by the table and ate their dull meal. During the breakfast, Eideard conveyed his schedule for the day with Bestinslot. "Bestinslot, Ah am gonnae train some new recruits abit a body ay th' monsters we ur facin' thes noon. Dae ye want tae come alang? (Bestinslot, I am going to train some new recruits about one of the monsters we are facing this noon. Do you want to come along?)

"Well, it might be helpful to get some insight of the monsters out there." Bestinslot said.

"Guid. (Good.)" Eideard gleefully articulated. "Also, I asked some glass carpenters to help and replace those broken windows for you. But they will start working on them in two days from now.

"Oh, thank you. By the way, after breakfast I will head back to the abandoned building." He informed them. They nodded in acceptance and all resumed eating.

Once Bestinslot was done with his breakfast, he picked up his equipment and put them on again. He told them goodbye and headed out the door. He exited the village and by the time he reached to the research facility the sun shining bright over him.

"_It's still morning huh. I have plenty of time to meet up with Eideard._"

He immediately went straight to the lab, completely ignoring the scorpion corpses that they had left behind. He cracked his fingers and went straight to work on the dinosaurs. He started making the Deinonychus first. He grabbed a measurement cup and went to the cryogenic storage chambers. He went to the Serums section and poured the 10 mL of the AG Serum. He soon taken the Deinonychus petri dish and Human Brain tissue #521.

Walking down to the Culture Vat Room, he selected the Culture Vat to the right to give birth of the Deinonychus. He checked below the Culture Vat tube and found the control panel to operate this particular Culture Vat. There was this small compartment that was designated in bold black letters "to apply the tissue and DNA". He pressed a random blue button and the compartment sprung opened. He placed the brain tissue and Deinonychus DNA into this compartment. He also noticed a circular socket that was designated in bold black letters as well "to pour the serums". He dispensed the AG Serum down the socket. He pressed the blue button again and the compartment slammed shut.

He then did the same to the Triceratops DNA. He selected the middle Culture Vat in the middle to give life to the Triceratops. He waited and observed them if the tubes are in working condition. After an hour, he could see a bit of organic matter molding to a shape.

"_Whew, good enough for me. I 'll just let them sit there then._" He assumed. "Besides, Eideard and his recruits are probably training already."

He exited the lab and climbed up the ladder. However, midway on the ladder, he had heard of metal clanging and marching.

"What in the bloody hell was that!?" He exclaimed.

He rushed up to the surface, nearly forgetting to lock the trapdoor. After doing so, he was saw about ten knights in shiny metal armor marching nearby. He hid behind the window and peered out of it with only one his eyes. Before the marching soldiers was Eideard, Amare, and this dark skin woman. She donned the same armor as Eideard and the soldiers, however she neglected the helmet. Her eyes were that of shiny emeralds. And her thick onyx hair was flowing and smooth in the sun's glare. Beside her waistline was a large claymore with a double-edged blade and a spike pommel.

After seeing Eideard and Amare, he was relieved and came out of his hiding spot. He departed from the building and dashed to Amare and Eideard's side. The woman noticed his approach and pulled out her claymore with her right hand. She teared through the wind and blocked Bestinslot's path. He came face to face with this unknown woman. He could noticed her threatening pink pursed lips and angered eyes. He also noticed a large scar that is smeared across her smooth face, a big and permanent blemish.

"Identify yourself you foolish man or be prepared to be cut down by my Claymore." She spouted aggressively. Her words were complimented with her slight Indian accent.

Bestinslot went bug-eyed for a moment, and retaliated, "Say what?! I don't deserve this shoddy treatment! I was just running to you guys!"

Amare came by to the woman's side and placed his hand on her shoulder. She stared into Amare's eyes as he shook his head of disapproval.

"What do you mean no?!" She yelled at him like a child. "He was going to hurt us! Look! He has sword!"

"Iris, stain doon. 'At cheil is mah mukker. An' he will be joinin' wi' us wi' thes trainin' exercise. (Iris, stand down. That man is my friend. And he will be joining with us with this training exercise.)" Eideard called out to her.

"But, but ….." She attempted to make an excuse.

"Nae buts. Noo, gang back tae explainin' abit th' monster we ur huntin' tae these new recruits. (No buts. Now, go back to explaining about the monster we are hunting to these new recruits.)" Eideard gracefully commanded.

"Yes sir." Iris sighed in disappointment and return to her position.

Bestinslot approached to Eideard's side and whispered to his ear, "Hey, who is that?" He pointed his finger towards the aggressive knight.

"She is mah lieutenant, Iris. Please, forgife 'er. troost me, 'er loyalty fur th' village is extremely admirable. An' sae is 'er skills wi' th' Claymair. It is whit mah guidwife woods say, magnifique. Dinnae lit 'er boisteroos an' lustful nature bortha ye. (She is my lieutenant, Iris. Please, forgive her. Trust me, her loyalty for the village is extremely admirable. And so is her skills with the Claymore. It is what my wife would say, magnifique. Do not let her boisterous and lustful nature bother you.)"

"What do you mean lustful?" Bestinslot cocked an eyebrow.

"Och aye, she tries tae flirt wi' every female in th' village, e'en mah guidwife. (Yes, she tries to flirt with every female in the village, even my wife.)" Eideard groaned in annoyance.

"Huh, really?! Didn't she know Chantelle is your wife?"

"Nae. An' when she realized chantelle was mah guidwife, she went doon greetin' in front ay me. Apparently she did nae want tae lose 'er status as a knecht ay th' sin. It was a sad secht pure. Sae Ah lit 'er keep 'er status as a knecht as lang as she nae longer attempted tae coort wi' mah guidwife. An' ever since 'en, she assured me 'at she will dae aw she can tae redeem herself frae sic' acts. (No. And when she realized Chantelle was my wife, she went down crying in front of me. Apparently she did not want to lose her status as a Knight of the Sun. It was a sad sight really. So I let her keep her status as a knight as long as she no longer attempted to court with my wife. And ever since then, she assured me that she will do all she can to redeem herself from such acts.) He explained.

"Wow, very … honor-bound isn't she?"

"Och aye. She is. (Yes. She is.) Eideard muttered. He pointed to Iris's direction, "Och swatch, she is gonnae dae a demonstration oan hoo tae kill a demon. (Oh look, she is going to do a demonstration on how to kill a demon).

The new recruits had given Iris her distance to combat the monster in front of her. The creature was elongated and thin as it stood as tall as Iris. It is a quadruped with four insect-like legs and the legs were barbed with hooked spikes. Its head was smooth and domed. It seemed as if can see through its eyeless sockets. The Green Devil's mouth was a circular and one can see the mouth is filled with various forms of small plant life. The devil's entire body was covered in light green flora and leaves. It stared at Iris with great curiosity, bending its body constantly to identify what she is with its unwavering eyes.

Eventually, it started approaching to her slowly, often looking like a cat closing in for the kill. When the Green Devil was within a meter of Iris, it started to hiss like snake and made a sinister mad dash to her. The Green Devil was creating a small but noticeable cloud of yellow spores from its body during its running assault. Iris's eyes widened in full alert and prepared her Claymore. Iris then started to sprint towards the plant like abomination with claymore slumped on her right shoulder. When they were nearly within touching distance, Iris slashed her Claymore with both hands to her left. The abomination's head was nearly decapitated and its body crashed down to the grassy knoll. Iris stopped in her tracks and held her Claymore with her left hand over her shoulder.

"Wow. That was inexplicably easy." Bestinslot said. However, Amare tapped his shoulder and pointed at the Green Devil's body.

The monster wearily stood up, with its head barely hanging from its body. It spun its body to Iris. Iris gestured her right hand "Come, you want some more right?" The Green Devil began making another assault towards her, although its speed was drastically decreased. Iris then advanced towards the monster and kicked it in its elongated body. The abomination's figure slumped but was stayed in place. Its hissing was getting louder than before though as it was still close to Iris. Iris reacted quickly and slashed down the head of the creature again. The sounds of the blade hitting wood echoed throughout the area as Iris impaled her blade into the monster's domed cranium.

The hissing had stopped. The creature had died. Iris removed her blade from the dead monster. The Claymore had been stained with the green and white blood of the Green Devil. She sheathed the sword back into its sheath.

She addresses to her students and exclaimed, "Did you see that? That was a Green Devil. If they are too close they will kill you and everything around you. If you want to see the sun again for another day, I advise you keep your distance from these monsters as much as possible. And if you must kill these monsters, aim for their heads. Though they are tougher to cut down, than you may think. Your captains and lieutenants can handle these monsters with ease as they have fought with these monsters constantly. But in reality, they can destroy everything you hold dear around you if you are not careful. So please, don't let yourself be over-confident with these monsters."

Eideard stepped forward and directed the new recruits, "Alrecht, noo lit us gang deeper intae th' forest an' fin' mair ay these bastards fur ye tae deal wi'. (Alright, now let us go deeper into the forest and find more of these bastards for you to deal with.)"

The soldiers ventured deeper into the forest. That also included Bestinslot as well. They stayed in the forest until sundown. Fortunately, there was no casualties that have accumulated through their training course. And surprisingly there was a lack of monsters for them to face. Only a couple of Green Devils were encountered and eliminated by the recruits, after a few hours trying to kill to them that is. Everyone was then sent to go back to their residences.

"Bye guys, I'll see you all tomorrow." Bestinslot waved farewell to his allies.

By the time he had reached his house, the night had blackened the skies. The stars are spread above Bestinslot's head. Crickets and other nocturnal creatures resonated the night with their unsynchronized synchrony. Peaceful and alluring the night had been recently, not even a single monster in sight. However, when he had caught view of the doors, the entryway was left wide open.

"What the hell?!" He shouted. He was absolutely sure he had closed the doors when he left.

He ran to the doors to examine what caused them to open like that. Or maybe discover he had just left them open because of his clumsiness. However, he was wrong. It was opened by something. On the interior, the doors were plagued with this transparent ooze on the knobs and the doorframes.

He touched the goo, "_Hmm, sticky._" He described it. "_Did something entered through the broken windows and opened the door?_" He questioned himself. "Oh crap!" He exclaimed and pulled his Schiavona in preparation. He had realized if something had opened the door, it could be abomination intruding his residence.

He scanned the room and found a trail of the ooze. The ooze trail were splotched in small figures, possibly meaning the creature was bipedal. He followed it and detected that this trail was leading to the trapdoor of the lab. The trapdoor was also left wide opened. The hair at the back of his head straightened out by the sight of the trapdoor.

"_No. Please don't tell me they attacked the dinosaurs._" He thought horridly.

He expedited to the trapdoor's side and noticed something strange and unexpected. The ooze was splashed inside the trapdoor. He checked the book case and found the button had been left untouched by the ooze.

"_No, it can't be possible. Did a monster spawned inside the lab?_" He pondered.

He travelled down the ladder, trying as much as possible to avoid the ooze that plagued the ladder. Once her reached down to the lab, he found more and fatter splotches of ooze that blemished the clean, white tiled floor. He tracked the secretions and it all lead to the Culture Vat Room. The door was left half opened. His heart skipped several beats at the sight of the trail. He readied his blade in hand. His heart was beating expeditiously when he placed his hand on the cold metal door. After a few moments of breathing in silence, he pushed away the door with a sword blazing in. However everything was empty. No monster, nor demon, nor devil.

He entered through the doorway. His eyes then widened for he had something he wished not to see. The Culture Vat Tube that held the Deinonychus was broken and had a gaping hole in the glass tube. He dropped his blade and rushed to the broken Culture Vat.

"It escaped!" He cried. He picked up the broken glass and looked at the tube. "No, no, no!" He cried more. "_It was all I got to get out of this place. Now it's gone. Why?!_" He began to sob. For quite some time, he had teared in misery of the situation.

**Author's Notes: Yes well, apparently the plot twist cannot be applied yet in this chapter. The next chapter for sure, I will reveal the plot twist. Just wait for me please. However, I would like to make some reports. The Creeper described in this story is from a Youtuber, ****Salooverall ****and her Spore recreation of the Creeper.****Please visit her. My description of the Creeper does not give her interpretation justice enough. She had given me full permission to use her redesigns of the Minecraft mobs for the Fanfiction. So expect some of her redesigns of the mobs to be part of the story. Thank you.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Bestinslot was on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. The transparent goo and glass shards surrounded him. The examination lights for the broken Culture Vat illuminated the embarrassment of the man. The Deinonychus he was hoping to make just absconded from his grasped. Everything that resembled the means to leave the island was falling apart. Still, happiness has not abandoned him yet.

It was begging to get out of this depressing situation. It was practically resounding in the room to go look for it. It wasn't that hard really. All he had to do was to listen the sounds of hope and look left. Because hope was beating on the glass of the middle Culture Vat Tube.

Bestinslot heard the creature's desire to be released. He wiped away his tears and hurried to the Culture Vat's control panel. He examined the Culture Vat controls for the middle tube. He scanned through it and found a red blinking button emanating the white words, "Eject". He pressed the button and saw the glass tube slowly being brought down from the ceiling. However in that process, he had stopped hearing the glass trying to be smashed. The liquids that fell out of the Culture Vat was somewhat the same as the one at the right except the goo held a blue opaque tint.

Halfway through opening, a figure slid out of the tube and landed face first. She appeared to be like any normal human. That is, if an individual were to disregard her right hand being a replaced by an adult skull of a Triceratops that ran down from her missing hand to her elbow. And that a large reptile-like tail is protruding out near her arse region. Other than that, she is quite human. Her hair was of a pale russet color and her body was of a young white teenager.

Bestinslot was stunned by the discovery of a child laying down, naked in front of him. He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around, her face viewing the ceiling. Her eyes were closed and there was no visible signs of breathing.

"_Crap! Is she even alive?! I have to do something._" He contemplated.

He placed his head near her chest to hear any heartbeat. None.

"Okay, I have seen Alan Grant do this to Timmy. I can do the same, right?" He whispered to himself.

He put his hands one over the other and positioned them where her heart be. He pushed once with a controlled force. Nothing happened. He pushed again, nothing. He pushed again, nada.

"Please, just live." Bestinslot said to the girl.

He pushed down her chest one final time, and the blue goo sprayed out of her mouth. She was coughing out several amounts of the watery substance, but was fortunately alive. She even stood up and hurled that muck into a corner. Once she was done vomiting out the vile sludge out of her system, she spun herself to her savior, and creator. She opened her eyes, her dilated pupils were of dark variant of sepia and stared them curiously at Bestinslot. However she did not speak a word. Realizing how awkward the situation is right now, he tried to make a conversation.

"Um, hello."

No answer.

"Can you understand what I am saying?" He asked her.

"Yes." The girl responded as if she was robot.

"Okay, then, my name is Bestinslot." He introduced himself. "What is yours?" He inquired.

She touched her forehead with her fingertips, excessively trying to figure out what she was called. After a few moments of waiting, "I don't think I have one." She replied.

"Alright, what would you like for me to call you then?" He interrogated her more gently.

She pondered even more and just responded more calmly, "I don't know any names. Can you name me, Mr. Bestinslot?"

Bestinslot went wide-eyed by the question. He had already reserved a name for a daughter, if he ever had one. But he never thought of getting more names for a child. So he too, tried his best to search for something in the cavity of his mind to name the girl. After some careful thought, he answered her,

"How about Lyddie?" He suggested.

She made a vague a smile, "Lyddie. I like it."

"Okay, Lyddie." He echoed the name. He would like to get more information out of her, "Why were you in that tube?"

She pointed at her Culture Vat, "That? I don't know. All I can remember everything being nothing but darkness, and just woke up in that thing, drowning."

"Oh god." He reacted. "_She is the Triceratops isn't she?_" He realized. "_Why are you human? Why do you have a tail and a skull for a hand?_" He racked his mind with those thoughts about Lyddie.

"So, um, mister?" She asked.

He looked at her with gentleness, "What is it?"

"I'm cold." She said as she was shivering.

"Bloody Nora, why didn't you tell me sooner?" He complained.

"I just realized I'm freezing right now."

"Okay, stay here. I will go up the surface and get you some sheets." He ordered.

"I understand." She said.

He hurried up the ladder, and went up the third floor. He however stopped in his tracks and stared into the brutality of Eideard and Amare. He had forgotten Eideard and Amare were attacked up here. Because their arachnid opponents were lying here dead all over the place. The creatures either have injuries that ranged from having their limbs cut off or their brains smashed by a blunt object. However, he must think of his priorities first.

He shook his head to straighten himself out. He scoured through the beds and collected as many sheets he can carry. He rushed downstairs. Once he landed on the second floor, he saw ignorance in its finest. From there, he could see the girl struggling to get out of the ladder.

"Aw damn it Lyddie." He whispered to himself.

He dropped the bed sheets and dashed to her side. She was inexplicably capable of actually climbing the ladder on her own despite her skull shield being quite large. However she was having problems to actually carrying the shield high enough to get up the surface. Bestinslot sighed heavily and reached out his hand to her. She saw the hand and looked up to him. He gave her a nervous smile.

"C'mon, you'll need my help if you want to get out there."

She looked down at her skull, and agreed. She grasped her hand onto his hand, hard. Her grip was so strong, Bestinslot felt like she is breaking his bones. What is worse, despite on her slim figure, she was extremely weighty. They both struggled in their attempt to remove Lyddie from her self-entrapment. After a few minutes, Lyddie was pulled out of there with both of them landing on the wooden floorboards. Bestinslot then glared at her intensely.

"Hey, why did you disobeyed what I told you?!" Bestinslot asked furiously.

"I don't want to be there any longer. It's cold and very claustrophobic." Lyddie explained herself with the puppy face. Her eyes shined and she made a baby-like pout.

"_Aww. But still, she has to respect me as her … creator?_" Bestinslot mentally reacted. "Look, Lyddie, you have to listen to me. Understand? I can't have you walking by without me around to watch over you. You might hurt someone if you don't listen to me" He tried affirm his dominance.

Lyddie at first looked at him quizzically stared at him, as if he was being humorous. But after staring directly at his eyes, she shriveled up and hid her face with her arms. Bestinslot, now realizing he had made her more uncomfortable, he just went away from her to get the sheets. He picked them up and then enveloped the cloth all over her body. Lyddie then used the sheets to hide herself from Bestinslot's gaze.

"_Oh god. I never really scorned a child before._" He contemplated.

He kneeled beside her. He whispered to her softly, "Lyddie, I'm sorry. I just don't want people to get in hurt. Or actually, I don't want you to get in hurt."

She peered out of her sheet wrapping, leaving her mouth and nose inside the sheets. She asked, "Why? Why don't you want me to get hurt?"

"Because I care for you. I made you." He answered.

"Made me? Does that you mean you're my dad?"

Flabbergasted by the question, he quickly replied. "No! I am not your dad."

"Then, who is my real father then? And who is my mother?" She inquired further, as if she was little orphan looking for her biological parents.

Bombarded with such questions, his head was meditating on how to answer each of her inquiries. He just left her with this, "Lyddie, that doesn't matter right now. Right now, what matters is that you need to get some clothes."

Lyddie gaped down at her own body, "Um, clothes?"

"Yes, clothes. Like a shirt, pants, socks, and shoes." He clarified the objects that are categorized as clothing.

He stared out the cracked window, it was very dark out. And he started to yawn in exhaustion. He stared to Lyddie. She too appeared as if she was exhausted from recent events.

"Lyddie, let's head upstairs and get some sleep okay. We are definitely going to have a long day." He suggested.

She yawned and groggily stood up. And went up the stairs on her own, still being shrouded with the bed sheets. He followed her up the stairs. By the time, he had reached the third floor, he already saw Lyddie slumped on one of the mattresses. He approached her slowly and briefly poked her cheek to see if she really is asleep. No reaction. She definitely passed out immediately by the time she landed on the third floor. He grabbed her sheets, and properly covered with the blankets.

He eventually fell down on a random bed. He turned his body to the dark ceiling above. He reflected deeply about Lyddie right now.

"_Oh god why? Why is there a nude child sleeping in the same room with me. Ah gypsy, what happens if people think of me as a pervert with a nude girl walking around with me? Will the people kill me? Is there even laws against pedophilia here?_" Again more horrid questions and "what ifs" clouded his mind. "_Okay, if I wake up extra early, I can run to Chantelle and Eideard's abode in the cover of the dawn and get Lyddie. And hopefully we don't get caught._" He meditated on this plan until he just pass out from sleep.

* * *

He opened his eyes. He sat up from his bed and looked through the window. It was still dark out but there was a hint of morning light outside. He expeditiously hopped out of the mattress and stretched out his arms. As soon as he was done stretching, he hurried up to meet up at Lyddie's position. She was still asleep and from last night. She appeared so peaceful and cute, like Sleeping Beauty.

"_Aw, I don't want to wake her up. But we got to go now. Or else …_" He pondered to himself.

He grabbed her pillow and ripped its connection with it and her face. Once it was removed, she woke with extreme alertness. She glared at him.

"Why did you that? I was sleeping." She grumbled.

"Look, I'm very sorry. But I need to get you clothes. And actually breakfast." He made an excuse.

"Can we not just do this at a later time?" She questioned.

"I'm sorry. But we do not have that luxury."

"Okay, fine." She amateurishly wrapped herself in the blankets. Yet, when she tried to stand up with them, they tended to plummet off of her. She attempted to tie the sheets with her left hand. But sadly, it was so poorly knotted that they keep unravelling on their own.

Impatient with her progress, he suggested "Why don't you let me tie that for you?"

She gazed at him. She struggled to tie the knot on her own. Sadly she was defeated and let the man tie her "dress" for her. He grasped the sheets and adjusted himself to be behind her back. There, he secured the sheets by fashioning the knot with extreme tightness, to avoid them accidentally fall down again. She appeared to look like princess. If princesses used bed sheets as their dresses for the balls that is.

"Ready?" He asked.

"I'm good to go." She responded.

They left the building as soon as possible. Now they began made a long dash sprint to the village. A several moments have passed, now they were at an expansive grassy field. Bestinslot stopped there as he was completely exhausted. He was already excessively sweating from the sprint. Lyddie however, seemed quite the opposite. In fact she was all cheery with the run. She was begging that Bestinslot should still endeavor the exhaustion even more. However, he just can't scamper any further.

"We practically ran about two miles." He wheezed.

"So. You said before we do not have time. Are you going to turn back on your word now?" She taunted him.

Irritated by the truth, he decided to trudge it. He really does not have the time to rest. But he definitely can't run anymore.

"Yay!" Lyddie yelled enthusiastically. It is like she is a puppy ready to run around the yard. And she ran bit further with him being left behind.

"Wait! I can't run anymore!" Bestinslot warned her.

After a few moments had passed, she finally stopped running for him to catch up. She stopped in a thick coniferous forest with some brushes scattered around. He latched his hands onto her right shoulder, nearly passing out on top of her.

"I finally caught up with you." He panted. "Damn, you have some stamina." He complimented her. No answer.

He observed her face why hasn't she responded. Her eyes were contracted and her mouth was wide open. She looks like what deer do when they see incoming headlights to their direction.

"Lyddie what's wrong?" He asked. No response, she just kept shock-eyed to the direction in front of her. He stared out in the same direction as well, just to figure out what is causing her to be like this. And he saw it too. Off far from the horizon, is a person running towards their position. He had to react quickly for this person could very be a hostile. He grabbed Lyddie by the shoulders, and shook just to get her attention.

She awoke from her trance but retained the fearful pupils from before. She attempted to say some words, but cannot utter a single language. She is scared, she is unsure what to do. If she panics, who knows what ungodly event may come across if that were to happen?

Bestinslot grabbed her shoulders, "Lyddie, listen to me. I don't know who that person may be. For now just hide by a nearby bush. Nobody will suspect the bush. I'll stay here and keep that guy occupied. He or she may be trouble. Now go." He directed her.

She made a slow nod in agreement and jumped to the left side of the road. She then hid behind a large dark green brush. Bestinslot gave her thumbs up and a smile to assure that she is in a great hiding spot. Now what is left is to wait for this unknown person to approach him.

When the figure had gotten closer Bestinslot can make out what that person is wearing. The mysterious figure had actually the apparel of a Knight of the Sun really. All crusader like and cumbersome. Despite that, the knight apparently is quite swift with the armor. As if the knight is unfazed by such heavy material. He could also see a large blade protruding from the waist by the knight. But the knight's shiny iron helmet, is of a Burgonet design.

After a few seconds, the knight had noticed Bestinslot's position and unsheathed his sword from his waist. Bestinslot as well pulled out the Schiavona and prepared a battling stance. The knight stopped in his tracks to battle the British bastard. His great sword raised high in the air. Oddly enough that blade he wielded looks familiar. As if he had seen it before like it was yesterday.

"_Wait, are you who I think you are?_" He reflected about his opponent.

The knight raised his head in acknowledgement of Bestinslot and sighed in disappointment. He sheathed his blade back to its scabbard. And so did Bestinslot.

"I thought you were a ghoul." Uttered the knight in a familiar Indian accent.

"Iris, isn't it?" Bestinslot replied, completely ignoring her previous sentence.

She removed the helmet, revealing the great scar on her face, the piercing emerald eyes, lavishly flowing hair. Her head was completely drenched in sweat. But she appears to be unfazed by that amount of perspiration.

"What are you doing here?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Funny, I was going to ask the same thing to you, foreigner." Iris taunted him.

"C'mon, I didn't do anything to you. Why are you so pissed as me?" He dejectedly nagged.

"_Because at the sight of you, I know you mean trouble. Somehow, you will get us all hurt or killed._" She responded mentally. "So answer me, why are you here?"

He sighed, "Alright. Fine, I was heading to the village to go to Chantelle's place and get some breakfast."

She gave him a glare, "Oh, I see." She looked away from him. "If you want to know what I was doing, I was heading out for a morning jog."

"In that armor?" He spouted in confusion.

"Yes, it is good for the body. Keep it in shape." She answered. "Also prepare your blade. Someone is watching us." She commanded.

"What?!" He bellowed in shock. "_She suspected the bush! She suspected the bush!_"

He pulled out his Schiavona and Iris released her Claymore from their sheath and scabbard. They went back to back to back of each other.

"Also, whoever is watching us, it is a girl." Iris informed him.

"How do you know?"

"I could smell the scent of her menstrual blood." She whispered.

"What?! You can do that?!" He inquired her.

"No! Of course not you buffoon." She mocked him. "But I do smell something that is not natural to this part of the forest. And it is most likely a scent for us women to be using."

The bush where Lyddie was hiding rustled a bit.

"There!" Iris pointed. She rushed down to the vegetation with extreme ferocity in her eyes. Iris was prepared to stab the bush with her steel Claymore. Luckily, Lyddie partially popped out of her hiding spot and yelled at Iris to not do it.

"Stop!" She screeched. She peered out of the bush with showing only her left side being visible to Iris.

Iris retracted her blade from the strike and sheathed it back to its scabbard. And her eyes have a gentler manner in them. And she made such a faint yet kind smile.

"I am so sorry young madam. I thought you were a mere bandit." Iris attempted to excuse herself with her brash behavior. Her voice of cruel taunting turned into a very courteous manner.

"Mister Bestinslot, is it okay if I talk to her?" She asked him.

"_Crap Lyddie. I didn't want anyone to think we are together with you in your birthday suit or at least with bedsheets all over you._" He exclaimed in the corner of his mind. "It's fine. I know Iris. She won't hurt you."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Iris interrogated them both.

"Yeah, she stayed in my residence because she was naked and cold. I had to take her in." Bestinslot responded for the both of them.

"Wait, naked and cold. Did you take advantage of this young girl?" Iris yelled the question at his ear while having a strong grip on his shoulders.

"Please. Don't say that. I never touched her in that way." Bestinslot countered her interrogation. "_Great. I'm already accused for pedophilia. With possibly the worst person to ever accuse me of such an act._"

"Young madam, did this buffoon ever … abused you in some way?" Iris gently asked her.

"Abused … never. He treated me quite fairly." Lyddie said with honesty.

Iris sighed in relief. "Thank the Sun." Lyddie still hid behind the bush in fear.

"Now come on now, there is no need to be afraid of me." Iris assured her.

"It is not that, I don't have any respectable clothes to greet you with." She replied with sadness in her voice.

"Oh, it is fine. I am a woman just like you." Iris attempted to make Lyddie come out of the shrub. "But if it is about Mister Bestinslot, it is fine. I'll make him unconscious to make sure you feel better if that is what you want." She suggested.

Bestinslot went behind Iris and made several gestures to Lyddie. His gestures were usually of "Don't. Don't do it." Lyddie made a slight nod to Bestinslot.

"No, I am just really shy about my body really." Lyddie lied.

"Is there any way I can help you get out of hidey spot?" Iris playfully said.

"Can you get me clothes?"

"Clothes?" Iris pondered by the word. "Oh, I know some clothes that is very fitting for your body type. But you will have to stay here for a while then. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that is fine."

"Alright I'll see you later." Iris waved at Lyddie goodbye.

She turned to Bestinslot and grabbed by the collar.

"If you take advantage of this sweet little girl, I will kill you. Understand?" Iris intimidated him.

"Y- yes ma'am." Bestinslot nervously replied.

"Good. You know authority. Maybe you're not so much of a fool after all." She teased him again. She left the two alone in the woods.

* * *

After a few hours have passed, the morning sun has finally rose to shine upon the forest they reside in. Bestinslot was sitting around, counting the pebbles around him as he waited for Iris. Lyddie on the other hand was off somewhere nearby eating all forms of vegetation she could get a hold of. She ate away grass, shrubs, dandelions, and some sour berries. A short while had passed since then, and Bestinslot could finally see Iris returning to them by a long distance.

"Lyddie! Get back to the bush. We can't have her seen you like that just yet." He barked orders at her.

Lyddie faithfully complied and returned to the large shrub to hide her humongous birth defects from Iris. When Iris had returned to them, she was carrying some steel plate armor and some padding.

"This is perfect for you." Iris offered the armor to her.

"What are they?" Lyddie quizzically asked.

"They are my old training armor back when I was a recruit for the Knights of the Sun. They are still it great shape. A few scratches here and there, but that's it. If you wonder if it smells, don't worry. I laced them with lavender oil so it smells wonderful." Iris described them.

Lyddie gulped in apprehension. "Um, I don't know how to put on armor though." She admitted.

"Oh don't worry, it's easy. I'll show you." Iris grinned as she said those words.

"No!" Lyddie snapped. Iris was left in short suspension of disbelief. "I'm sorry. I just have this personal problem."

"What is it? Maybe I can help you." Iris compassionately asked her.

"Well I can answer that." Bestinslot intervened hastily. "You see, when I found Lyddie, she had some very odd … physical traits that made her seemed unlikable by others."

"Oh, I see. Don't worry dear, I won't judge. I had gone through the same thing." Iris empathized with Lyddie. She kneeled in front of her. "You have already noticed this large scar on my cheek. Right?"

"Yes."

"You see, I got this scar before I was a Knight of the Sun. In fact, I got it when I was about five summers old. My tribe were intellectual nomadic merchants. We sell goods across from land to land. One night, I was sleeping in a tent with my mother. I heard screams from outside and tried to wake mother up. She woke up and told me to stay inside and pretend to be asleep. She exited out of the tent. After that, I could hear my mother screaming in horror. Next she was screaming in pain. I could see a silhouette of a fairly small Werewolf prowling by, sniffing the air." She explained. "I could see his fangs dripping with saliva, I hoped. Eventually he entered my tent. He grabbed me high in the air. Placed a single talon on this cheek." She stifled a cry. "Then, he punctured my face with -" She sobbed.

Bestinslot placed his hand over Iris's shoulders. She stared at him with her teary eyes. She wiped away her tears.

"I was saved by the knights, along with a friend of mine. I would have died without them. Now, I serve them. But not without consequence. Because of this giant scar, no one wants to look at me. They just look somewhere else other than me. They are terrified with this giant blemish. They think I'm ugly." She went on. "But I sure showed them. I am now a Lieutenant of the Knights of the Sun. Now they see me as a sort of hero." She cracked a smile.

"I am sor-" Bestinslot attempted to sympathize with her.

"Don't say those words." Iris interrupted him. "I don't need your sympathy … but I do need you empathy." She admitted.

"Is there anything we can do to help you feel better?" Bestinslot questioned her remorsefully.

She turned to Lyddie. "Put these on. And let me help you."

Without hesitation or command, Lyddie nodded in agreement. Bestinslot too, silently agreed to the situation.

Before Iris entered the bush with Lyddie, she warned Bestinslot, "Keep your eyes out for enemies. Not for her."

Bestinslot shifted his direction away from the shrub. A few seconds later, Iris stifled a scream.

"_Yup. She saw them._" He reflected on the yelling.

"Oh god why?!"Iris shrieked in horror.

Lyddie, just shriveled to a ball to avoid Iris fearful gaze on her. Bestinslot came by to their side. However, Iris grabbed him by the collar and pinned him to a nearby tree.

"What in hell is she?" Iris choked him with the words.

"She's Lyddie." Bestinslot replied.

"Well _Lyddie_ is not exactly human then. What is she?" She repeated.

"She is a special person. She is supposed to help you guys protect your village." Bestinslot confessed to Iris in a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Iris hissed.

"Look, Eideard wanted some help with the village. And I uncovered a book of magical power that showed me ways to summon creatures. So I made a deal, that if I lived there at the abandoned structure, the village will have extra protection with some of the new creatures. But I unexpectedly summon this girl." He murmured his lies to her.

"She is a monster. She should be disposed of immediately." Iris told him.

"You're the one to talk. You told us your story about showing people you're not a monster. But you cannot even fathom with her even if she is just different than you." Bestinslot backlashed.

She growled at his remark. He was speaking the truth. She has no ground in calling Lyddie a creature of evil. She walked away from Bestinslot. She stood before Lyddie and grabbed her by the arm. Lyddie did not retaliate, she did not seemed to hurt her in any way. It was then Iris intention was known. She was finishing helping Lyddie put on the armor. Iris only focused on putting the armor on Lyddie as quickly as possible. After she was done, she walked away from the both of them.

**Author's Notes: That is the plot twist. Lyddie is human, partially, and can talk. If you wonder why she is human, I'll explain in that in the far future. Like really far future. Also if you complain why she isn't a dinosaur when the solution is for dinosaurs, reread the solution. Also, another note. I am going to tell you that previous chapters and future chapters with fight scenes have all been orchestrated by a friend of mine. Without him, some of the fight scenes from later/previous chapters would be rather dull or illogical, to some degree. I would like someone with some experience in the CQC combat for these fight scenes. I would send a link to his Instagram page, so you guys can see his work, but I forgot what the link was. Because not only is he a great fighter, he is an extremely amazing artist. And is very talented. So if you're reading this dude, thank you for the research and future research to come. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Despite, Iris's words, this training armor seemed to be fully capable of an actual fight. As she said, this armor had seen better days. But it actually appeared as if it made fresh off the anvil. The armor design was ideally customized to fit in Iris's body type. The breast plate was sort of like a shiny iron top. It has a split in between the middle to allow breathing be an easy for the wearer. It however left the stomach area open to strikes. So instead, the stomach area was fashioned with a flexible iron armor to allowing the wearer to bend perfectly with the exception of light armor. Lyddie's left shoulder donned a large iron pauldron, but her right lacked the other pair due to the Triceratops skull shield. Her left hand and arm were sporting an iron gauntlet and a leather vambrace. Her legs were covered by extensive iron Cuisses.

As for the coloration of the armor, it was consistent. Along the centers of each armor piece, they were laid with navy blue or yellow symbols. These symbols would either be like the sun or strange circulations and linings. It still kept its prominent shiny metal stature regardless of its vivid coloration. She also fashioned two diagonal yellow and navy blue belts. These belts were most likely used for decoration rather serving any protecting relevance. And surprisingly, her large and protruding gray green tail had enough space to move around freely.

Lyddie thrashed her tail about, happily looking at it. Bestinslot, however was more impressed on how fitting the armor was. It was amazingly convenient of something like this came around for them. At a cost sadly, they had to lose the trust of a very skilled warrior of the village. And Bestinslot is sure that he does not want to get in her bad side.

"Well, Lyddie, are you ready to go?" Bestinslot asked her.

"Wait. I need to do something first." Lyddie reported. As soon as she said that, she began running about with the armor with a joyful smile in her face. She was completely ecstatic by the feeling of wearing armor. "Okay. I'm done."

Bestinslot smirked at her joyfulness. "_Ah youth._" Bestinslot reflected with himself. "_Wait, did I just say that? I sound like an old man. Argh_."

His mental process was halted by Iris yelling. "You two! You both want to get to the village right?! You better hurry up then!"

Bestinslot and Lyddie both regained their grip on reality and rushed to the direction of the village. Along the way, they tried to be alongside with Iris during their journey back to the village. It wasn't really necessary, but it might help ease Iris's thoughts on Lyddie. However each time they tried to approach her, Iris seemed to be miles ahead of them.

Eventually they gave up. After a minutes had passed, they all can see the reassuring stone walls of the village. As before, you could see the guards patrolling around the wooden gateway. Spears at the ready to stab at any unwanted visitor. The group had approached the soldiers.

Iris hastily advanced towards the couple of guards. She grabbed a knight's shoulder and whispered something to his ear. Whatever, she told him, he was astonished by it. They bickered for some time. Inevitably, the guard made a sigh and Iris moved on.

"Hey you?!" One of the soldiers said with a deep Russian accent.

"Me?" Replied Bestinslot.

"Not you, the girl behind you."

Lyddie gulped hard in nervousness. "Y- yes sir?" She muttered.

"My superior said that you are an animal. And judging by the tail and arm, you're more than that. Nevertheless, that is what she discussed with me." He reported.

"So what?" Bestinslot remarked with light aggression.

"She is required to have a leash. And a knight to escort her if you want to enter the village." He stated. "We will provide the knight escort, but where is her leash?"

"C'mon really? She wouldn't hurt a fly." Bestinslot fibbed.

"Doesn't matter. The council's rules if you want to bring an animal to the village." Retaliated the other knight.

Bestinslot, flabbergasted by the events, brooded over his next move. He then faced Lyddie, and placed his hands over her plated shoulders.

"Lyddie, I got an idea. But for now, I will have to go on to village without you." He told her.

Lyddie's lips sunk down to make a frown. "What?! Why?!" She complained.

"Look, listen. I'll only be gone for a little while. I'll go get someone with higher authority than Iris. Then we can make an exception, or find at least find you a leash." Bestinslot assured her.

Lyddie thought about it for a moment. She eventually nodded yes about the plan. Before Bestinslot left her, she grabbed his shoulder, "Don't forget about me."

"I won't." Bestinslot promised.

He then faced the guards. "Can I go in without her?"

"What, you want us to look after her?" The Russian guard asked in annoyance.

"Please do. She won't be much trouble." Bestinslot begged.

They both of the guards looked at each other almost in synch. At one point as if these two were telepathically talking to each other. One of them shrugged at the idea of keeping Lyddie safe. The Russian knight shifted a bit to expressed his thoughts on the matter. It sort appeared he did not like the idea of watching over Lyddie. After a few awkward movements have passed, eventually they agreed to the idea of caring for Lyddie.

"Thank you." Bestinslot graciously conveyed.

The knights opened the gates and let the guy go through. Bestinslot then proceeded to enter through the gates. When he went through the gates, they hurriedly closed it. Once through, he immediately started to scuttle around the village. He knows the best bet to get Lyddie through those gates would be Eideard. He has higher authority than Iris so he'll probably pull a few strings and get Lyddie to enter the village freely. That is if he can find the knight in the first place.

He soon realized that searching everywhere throughout the village to find Eideard is pointless. He understood Eideard could be anywhere, and honestly he never want to talk to the people here. They might be thinking he is an insane person with all his running about. Or since he is a foreigner, they might think he means harm. His next plan would be asking the closest person to Eideard, Chantelle. As soon as he knows what to do, he darted through the village to contact Chantelle.

After a few minutes had passed, he reached to stony abode of Chantelle and Eideard. He knocked on the door excessively to get Chantelle's attention.

"Coming!" Answered the French girl through the door. She opened the door and greeted him, "Oh, Bestinslot. Welcome. Why are you here?"

"I need your help." He wheezed due to all his excessive running.

"What is it? Did something happen?" She asked.

"I need to talk Eideard." He puffed. He soon caught his breath. "Actually, I just really need a rope." He admitted.

"If it is just rope, I have some of it somewhere here." She informed him. Chantelle began scouring the room for the rope. With light curiosity she asked, "So, what is the rope for anyway?"

He had no qualms to telling her the purpose of the rope. "I need it so I can take an _animal_ inside the village."

"Ooh. Really? I love animals." She said. "Can I go with you?"

"Um, but this an animal, I suppose, you've never seen." Bestinslot reported.

"Ooh, even better." She smiled brightly.

"Are you sure?" Bestinslot tried to assure her. "It is something you do not see every day." He notified Chantelle.

But before she even answered his question, she was already out the door and few steps ahead of him.

"C'mon, let us not make the poor creature lonely without its master!" She yelled.

Bestinslot realized there is nothing stopping her when she interested in something. He just tried to catch up with her fast pace. They talked about Lyddie.

"So, what does this creature look like anyway?" Chantelle asked.

Bestinslot had no idea on how to answer that. "Well, um, it is kind of difficult to explain what it looks like." He lied.

"Okay … is it a girl or a boy?" She questioned him further.

"Oh definitely a girl." He answered with annoyance in his voice. "You're really eager in wanting to see this animal." He commented.

"Of course I find all animals cute." She confessed with enthusiasm.

By the time she stated those words, they were already at the wooden gateway. Bestinslot heart pumped at an accelerated rate. He was fearful on how thing will pass when they finally meet.

_"What is she going to think? Would she just be like Iris? Or would she just let it go?_" He contemplated on their soon future meeting.

"Hey, would you all be so kindly to open the gates please?" Chantelle requested to the gate guardsmen so politely.

"Yes ma'am." They respected her in synch.

The guards opened the gates to inevitable fate. The gates gradually opened, blasting the light rays of sun. It was so blinding that they cannot see anything for a while. Then it was like time was halted and all things were silent around them.

Lyddie was scratching her shoulder in nervousness to her being revealed to new person. She was so shy to seeing Chantelle that she wouldn't even look at her straight. Chantelle was the opposite. She stood there, her eyes contracted by the sight of Lyddie. She could not whatsoever stop staring at the strange creature that Lyddie is. Chantelle was so much in shock that she dropped both the rope and her jaw. She was totally speechless of Lyddie.

Lyddie broke the silence by greeting Chantelle, "Um … hello."

Chantelle could not speak any words. So she made a short wave of "hello" to the young girl. She then glared at Bestinslot intensely. He could feel her aggressive force pulsating out of her body. She is pissed.

"_But why?_" He wondered. However, the malicious intent seemed to have subsided.

She rather changed her emotion and aura very quickly. She is now returned to her jovial personality once before. She made a cute smile and a light giggle emanated from her. She then confronted Lyddie with enthusiasm.

"I'm so sorry about my silent behavior earlier. I was expecting something different than you." Chantelle apologized to Lyddie.

"Oh …. it is fine. I really did not even notice it." Lyddie truthfully said.

"Well come on now. It is getting a bit draft here. Why not let us go back to my home and talked there?" Chantelle suggested.

Before they were going back to village, they were halted by the soldiers. They held up their spears to block Chantelle's path.

"I'm sorry Ma'am. She needs a leash and a knightly escort, no exceptions." They informed her.

"Well then," Chantelle instantaneously wrapped the rope around Lyddie's neck. "Here's the leash, now where is the escort?" She sassed at him.

"Here." A knight said in a familiar accent again.

"Oh god." Bestinslot whispered.

Iris approached the group with a royal flare. "What you expected someone else?" She hissed at Bestinslot.

"Iris. It is so nice to see you again." Chantelle greeted her with kindness. "You should visit my house more often. Just forget about you crying in front of my husband. It was an honest mistake, no need to be guilty."

Iris's face flushed red in embarrassment. "Ma'am … please keep that event away from the public."

"Why not? It was all so long ago. No need to brood over it." Chantelle attempted to make Iris accept her offers.

"Please, Chantelle, let us all go back to your house." She dejected from the conversation.

Chantelle whined a little but kept her mouth closed. The group and their escort passed through village, but not without causing a ruckus. As walked along casually, there were always the eyes that always stared at Lyddie. Kids, women, men, seniorities, anyone. They all stared down at Lyddie's noticeable physical traits. They all see her as something not human.

The group turned to a corner. There, a small child was running about having fun until he bumped into Lyddie. He accidentally hit her thigh without noticing. He stumbled on the floor on his arse. He was probably about six-years-old wearing a brown vest and pants. And he had black hair and dark brown eyes.

Lyddie reached out her left hand to the kid, "Are you okay?"

The kid looked up to Lyddie, "Yeah. Thank you."

Lyddie picked up the kid and set up placed him back to his standing position.

"I didn't mean to make you fall down." Lyddie apologized to the kid.

"It's okay." The kid calmly uttered while he brushed off the dust. "Hey lady, why do you look so weird?" He asked so nonchalantly.

"Weird? Me?" Lyddie said in confusion.

"Yeah. You look like a monster. Why?" He commented on she looked.

Lyddie was shocked by the words. She snapped at him, "I'm not a monster!" She raised her skull in anger. It almost looked like she was about to hit the kid.

The kid was shocked by her yelling, and stumbled back to the floor. He was terrified by her skull now, more than ever. Lyddie realized what she was doing stopped immediately on what she was doing and tried to hide her shield. Nevertheless, the kid started to bawl his eyes out. His tears streamed the down his face as he laid there on the floor. Lyddie began to panic to the crying the child.

Eventually, a young woman came by to the boy's side. She tried to cheer him up. But she couldn't stop him from crying. She then sternly glared at Lyddie and focused all her anger at Lyddie.

"You! What did you do to my son?" She lashed out at Lyddie.

"I- I'm so-" Lyddie couldn't speak a word. She was too stunned about everything is going on.

"Get away from him!" She spouted at Lyddie. She moved the kid away and slapped Lyddie in the face. Lyddie's cheek was colored red by the hit. Everyone around them was at a state of disbelief. Lyddie was already having trouble with the people around here.

Bestinslot saw what happened in front of him and stood between Lyddie and the mother. "Hey! Don't you ever dare do that to her again!" He snarled. "You have no right to do that her!"

"She belongs to you?" She interrogated him. His anger did not waver from her hostility. He is willing to take a stand for Lyddie. The woman afterwards subsided her animosity for Lyddie and warned Bestinslot, "Whatever. Just keep your monstrosity away from my son."

"And tell your son -" Bestinslot was about to retaliate against the mother. However he was interrupted by Chantelle tugging at his arm. Chantelle too was just as infuriated as him. But she does not want him start more problematic situations than the one they are currently in.

"Bestinslot," Chantelle caught his attention. "Let us go. Leave her be, monsieur."

Bestinslot was going to fight the mother even more. But realize what Chantelle was right. He left them to their own and proceeded with the journey. The people now are more geared to despise Lyddie even more. Some of the people started to pick up knives, sticks, anything to hit Lyddie with if she give them a reason to use them.

Lyddie ashamed of herself just looked down at the floor, "Um, Bestinslot?"

"Yes Lyddie?" Bestinslot replied with his full attention.

"Why do these people hate me?" She stifled a cry.

"Lyddie," Bestinslot attempted to comfort her. "They do not hate you. They are afraid of you, that's all."

"Why?" She sternly asked.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "Maybe because their human."

"And I'm not." Lyddie miserably mouthed.

"Lyddie, it is not because you're not human. You are … different. And humans don't like things different. Don't take it personally." Chantelle included herself to this conversation.

Lyddie made a slight nod acceptance. But Chantelle and Bestinslot understood that she did diminish her misery from the recent events.

After a few minutes had passed from Lyddie's segregation from the villagers, they finally reached to Chantelle's house. The sun had reached to its evening stages.

"Ma'am," Iris addressed to Chantelle. "Would you like me dispatch some extra soldiers to your house just in case?"

Chantelle demanded casually, "No Iris. But are you sure you don't want to stay? I have some goat cheese and lettuce for all of you."

Iris delightful smiled at her invitation, "That would be lovely. But I have to decline. I have to go to do a favor for a longtime friend."

Chantelle understood and went on her merry way. She opened the door to her stony house and entered inside. She playfully curtsied to Bestinslot and Lyddie, welcoming them to her abode. Bestinslot and Lyddie joined Chantelle inside.

"Lyddie, why don't you sit down at the couch?" Chantelle proposed. "It must have been a difficult welcome party for you here and I am sorry for that. I really am."

Lyddie looked to Bestinslot for advice. He bobbed his head yes for her to sit down. She slumped down to the couch. And with her giant Triceratops skull for a hand, she is taking quite a lot of space. Thus it forced Bestinslot to sit down to a nearby chair.

"So, both of you." Chantelle sought for their attention. "Can you tell me how you two met?"

"Bestinslot found me all alone and cold." Lyddie responded hastily.

"And I couldn't just leave her there without warmth and shelter, so I took her in." Bestinslot stated.

"Where are your parents? And who are your parents?" Chantelle insisted these questions.

"I don't know if I had parents." She replied gloomily. "Bestinslot told me it is not important."

"Not important, are you mad?" Chantelle nagged on his answer.

"Look, I don't know who her parents are. I just found her." Bestinslot explained himself.

"Have you no memory on the thing whatsoever?" Chantelle interrogated Lyddie even further.

"No, all I remember is pitch darkness."

"Well, what are the both of you going to do now?" Chantelle asked.

"I seriously have no idea." Bestinslot reacted gloomily.

"Well, I'll go get the cheese and lettuce." Chantelle stood up and walked to the kitchen.

When Chantelle left the living room, Bestinslot and Lyddie just gawked at the emptiness of the room. Despite it being very vibrant with all sorts of game and dead monsters, things for them seemed all lost to the void of fate. Everything around them was nonexistent. Like they have both reached to the fork of the road, with each path plagued with the unknown and the terrors of reality.

They soon were able to exit out of such a state when someone kicked down Chantelle's door. A knight, carrying the tongue that Bestinslot all too familiar with, barged inside. Alongside the knight was a man that Bestinslot was all too familiar with as well.

"Chantelle! Aw ye alrecht?! (Chantelle! All you alright?!) Eideard exclaimed. "A hen in th' village said a monster hud invaded uir haem. An' Iris tauld me a cheil ay danger has entered uir haem an aw. (A woman in the village said a monster had invaded our home. And Iris told me a man of danger has entered our home as well.)" He proclaimed in desperation.

Chantelle came out of the kitchen with the tray of lettuce leaves and a block of goat cheese. But Bestinslot knew who these so called "man of danger" and "monster" are. "Hey Eideard, I think she means me as the _man of danger_." Bestinslot informed him.

Eideard and Amare looked at Bestinslot in confusion. Eideard soon laughed in awkwardness, "Och. weel 'en. Ah shoods nae be woriat huh? (Oh. Well then. I should not be worried huh?)"

Bestinslot and Eideard laughed vigorously. Amare made a large smirk of gratifying humiliation. Chantelle and Lyddie just subdued a slight giggle.

"(So, how about the monster?)" Eideard asked.

"Well as you see, there is no monsters here. Just you, Chantelle, me, and … my adopted daughter, Lyddie." Bestinslot answered truthfully.

Eideard had not noticed her deformities, yet. "Och, dochter? weel i'm surprised. (Oh, daughter? Well I'm surprised.)" Eideard remarked. "Sae yoong quine, hoo did ye meit mah mukker haur? (So young lady, how did you meet my friend here?)"

Lyddie cleared her throat of her anxiety, "I was alone and cold. And I saw Bestinslot through the glass between us. I called out to him through the glass. And he came to answer my call."

"Sae whaur ur yer real parents hen? (So where are your real parents dear?)" Eideard sympathetically inquired Lyddie.

Lyddie however became extremely silent. Chantelle, however, came by to Eideard and Amare's sides. She whispered some things to their ears. After their succinct meeting together, Amare and Eideard's ceased their curiosity in Lyddie's life.

"Well maybe, I should just shut up then?" Eideard said in shame.

Lyddie and Bestinslot said nothing. But everyone knew that their hearts and minds wished to never face that question again. So Chantelle suggested something to lighten the mood for the both of them.

"Guys, stop those long faces. I'll go out talk the hunters and get us some meat for dinner." Chantelle notified them. "Eideard, go and get some more vegetables at the farm." She ordered her husband. "And you three. Just stay here and make yourself at home."

"Okay." Lyddie and Bestinslot glumly synchronized. Amare just stood there in silent agreement to her plans. But things were not as simple as it seemed.

But before Chantelle can open the door calmly, the door rather burst open by a storming kick. Before the doorway is Iris as her usual self. But something is wrong. Her eyes are in total shock, and her beautifully shiny silver armor is now darkened red. And in her arms was average built, middle aged man. His clothes are of basic white robes that covered his entire body with splotches of dark red on the fabric. And the man was completely unconscious, and he is definitely in peril. His arm has been torn apart from his body.

"I need your help." Iris mouthed.

**Author's Notes: So yes, a new perspective will be seen in the next chapter. And I have another report to my readers. To those who are wishing for a series of regular dinosaurs, you are going to be disappointed. I have barely any experience with the psychology of an animal in a human partnership. So anything with an actual dinosaur will be void in here. Originally, I was going to have that. But as previously told before, it will be impossible for me to utilize an actual dinosaur relationship. Also another note, I would like to ask my readers to be critical with me. I would like to be pointed at my faults, justly, in the stories. I do enjoy the praises for my work. But please, I cannot develop further as an author if I am not told of my faults specifically. So in later reviews, I beg of you all, tell me what I did wrong. I don't want to rush these stories nor do I want to grammatically incapable of portraying these stories. So like I said, point out my mistakes and tell me. I won't fix the previous chapters though. I want them to be examples of my literary maturity. **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**5 hours ago …**

I walked to my subordinates through the gates. I told them everything to be wary of the animal before them. That it is more than it seemed. And that I will take the creature myself.

"_Argh. So bothersome those two._" I complained. "_Well, at least she won't be entering the village for quite some time._" I snickered. "_This is perfect to meet up with him._"

I marched towards the town center of the village. The center was square like in shape. In the center of the square was a limestone fountain statue. The statue depicted of two hooded angels on a rock surrounded by water. One angel held an urn and is pouring down to the water below; signifying that the regular villagers who have expired still serve and enrich the land. Behind the angel holding an urn, the other angel is holding a sword in its left hand and a kite shield in its right hand. It was flying upwards towards the sun. That indicated the warriors who have passed by time or by battle is still protecting us by being part of the sun.

I have no idea why there is such a fountain in the center. I never paid any attention to the sermons that the Disciples of Light always spout in the streets. However, there is something special in the fountain that no one knows except us knights. Inside the open robe of the warrior angel, is a bell. That bell was meant to be used to alert the village for the protection or evacuation of the village. However, that bell was never used at all. It is probably old and rusty by now.

"_Well, I should be going._" I contemplated. I spun right to the marketplace of the village. It took about ten minutes until I have reached to the marketplace.

The marketplace is really an open area filled with makeshift wooden stalls. Each stall had something unique compared to the others. Hunters would sometimes give regular people some lessons on how to survive out the wild, for a shiny coin that is. Herbalists would bring in a magnificent medicinal plant from the afar. Miners would sell away some gems to Amare, he likes those stuff, if they ever found some. And farmers, sometimes are selling two headed cows or headless chickens. I think we even had a travelling merchant that sold these so called lucky items. Apparently those lucky items were purple eyes of the Dark Light Assassins and the dark gray skin flakes of the Green Devils. She was selling these demonic materials, so we drove her out. What an idiot.

I patrolled through some stalls nearby. Some hunters were back from the hunt. They had several deer carcasses hanging by on a string. They were doing this competitive arm wrestling matches. A middle-aged woman was donning a green bandanna and forest green leather armor and was triumphantly winning amongst her hunting peers.

She saw me invested in the matches, "Hey knight! Wanna lose a few coins?" She insulted me.

I replied as respectfully as I can, "Ready to become my bitch for a day?"

"Oh we'll see." She said.

She pulled out a simple wooden chair for me. I sat down on it and she gave out this boastful smirk across her face. I can't wait to wipe that smile from her face. I remove my gauntlets and set them aside. She set her arm ready for match and so did I. We locked our hands together and waited for the countdown for the match.

"A silver coin goes to the winner." A hunter reported the gambling rules.

"Okay, ready? Go!" Exclaimed the referee.

At first nothing happened. We barely applied any pressure over the other. After a few seconds had passed, the leading huntress got impatient. She applied as much force as she could to bring me down. But we stayed in place, well I kept her in place. I realized I may be fooling around too much here, so I decided to end it. I let go a bit of my pressure and it sent our arms swiftly to the edge of the table. She was shocked by all this and was too stunned to retaliate after my counter. I took the opportunity of her loosening her muscles and sent her arm straight to the other side.

"Damn!" She cursed cutely. I made a confident smirk at her lost.

"Well I'll see you all later." I informed them. I lifted myself out of the desk and collected my winning. I was about to walk away from them until someone stopped me.

"Hey!" The huntress called out to me. "How about two out of three?" She attempted to gain back her dignity in her strength.

I had to decline. "Sorry, huntress. I still got a job to do. Maybe next time you can beat me." I wanted to get another time to meet with her again. "How about next week we go to the pub and get drunk okay?" I suggested.

She retained her snicker of confidence, "Oh, you want to see who can hold their liquor the most eh?"

"Sure, but not now." I replied.

"Alright, you have a deal. If we both don't have our jobs bothering us that is." She said.

I just gave them all a faint grin of acceptance and walked away. I don't want to miss my appointment with him. I traversed through a more shops until I got where I want to. Surrounded by all the other stalls stood a tiny, old shack selling herbs and vegetables. Some of the wooden that structured this shack has already turned rotten. It needed a few more repairs and replacements if this little shack wanted to look hardly appealing to look at. Still, what it lacks in appearance, it makes up for its blemishes for its amazing wares to sell.

I approached the counter and saw all the assorted colorful plant life or grounded up plant parts in jars. Those jars were lain on the shelves of the shack's wooden walls. Sadly, he made a poor job in organizing them, it makes it difficult to discern which is the one needed. A door to exit from in and out the stall is there. But he is such a klutz, he completely lost his keys to open the bloody doors. Behind the counter was my friend crouching down for inventory check as usual.

He is wearing his usual clothing for the Disciples of Light. A purely white hooded robes that covered his body from shoulders to ankles. It has some buttons running along the middle of the robes to allow the wearer to remove it at some point. At the back of the robe, golden linen was sown to a design that is supposed to mimic a falcon flying upwards. The sleeves are annoyingly long and wide that it covered the entirety of his hands and more. All the time those sleeves would be hanging about everywhere. Under those robes though, he wears his usual farmer's clothing. Brown overalls and a cyan colored shirt.

I knocked on the counter to try to get his attention. He raised his hands and left his index finger out.

"Give me a moment please." He said in his all so joyful Indian voice. "I have to check if I harvested the radishes."

After a few minutes later, he finally popped his curly charcoal black hair out of there. His tawny brown eyes still carried his casual joviality as always. And he still have his brown skin that strangely resembled to those water dogs. At the sight of me, he cracked a wide grin.

"Hey it is Big Sister Iris." He greeted me.

"Raj," I sighed. "You know we are not related by blood. So stop calling me 'Big Sister'. Besides, you're older and taller than me." I explained.

"Whatever, it is by one year. And besides I'm taller than you by the size of an ant." He humoredly retaliated my lecture. "So what are you doing here Iris? What happened to your morning jog in the forest?"

"I got caught up with some idiots toying with me." I groaned in nuisance.

Coincidentally, that buffoon had to show up when I said those words. He was running around, panicking from the other side of marketplace. He was frantically searching through the crowds. Eventually he stopped and scuttled somewhere else after a few seconds. I cringed at the sight of the fool.

Raj immediately knew who that person was to me. "So what did that guy do to make you already disgusted by his appearance?"

I answered hastily, "He was an idiot."

"Oh," He remarked in surprise. "So like every guy you have ever met."

I was slightly offended by such terms. I remarked, "I don't call all men idiots. Just men that are really stupid."

"And yet you say that to every men." He jested more.

"I don't call you, Amare, and Eideard stupid." I defended myself.

"So other than those two and me, every other guy is stupid." He taunted me more.

I played along, "Sure, yes. Everybody is stupid other than you and them."

"Aw damn. It is no longer fun when you're not mad." He whined. He soon reverted to a more serious behavior, "So, why are you here then?"

"I haven't eaten breakfast. I was hoping you may have some raw vegetables for sale?" I clarified my presence here.

"Oh, okay. So what you want?" He inquired.

"Do you have some wild carrots or maybe some home-grown cucumbers?" I asked.

"Well, I think I have some somewhere around here." He notified me. He rummaged through shelves behind the counter. "By the way, can you do me favor later in the night?"

"Sure, I have plenty of time later." I agreed. "What is it though?"

"Alright. I will going be out of the town getting some Florescent Mushrooms later in the night." He clarified his objective.

"Are you sure do you need to do this in the night though?" I queried. "Can you not do this in the day time?"

"I would really. But you really cannot identify these specific mushrooms from the others until they grow brightly in the dark." He explained.

"Oh, so what are the mushrooms for then?" I investigated more on the topic.

"A farmer asked me to give medicine to his sick calf. Apparently it has been refusing its mother's milk and is more jumpy than it should be. So I checked it out and figured these specific mushrooms are what I needed."

"Well I cou-" I began talking more. Then Raj interrupted me by holding out the large carrots and cucumbers.

"I found them!" He pronounced awkwardly. He raised himself off the counter.

"Oh thank you. Uh, how much would that be?"

"Probably about one silver coin if you want to buy them all." He answered.

"Deal." I scoured through my little leather sack holding my coins. I picked out one clean and shiny silver coin and flung it to him.

He caught the coin mid-air and passed the vegetables to me. I was famished and gorged down on the vegetables right there on the spot. I finished my meal with a single and silent burp.

"Well excuse from that." I apologized for my indecent behavior.

"It doesn't matter."

"Well, I'll be going then. I have to escort an animal through the town."

"Okay. Got it. I'll meet with you at the forest at sun down." He scheduled our meeting.

"Alright."

I left Raj to his own and continued my way back to the gates. On my way there, from afar, I spotted Chantelle and the buffoon together. There were strolling down the road as if they were old friends. Amazing, apparently the buffoon managed to get one of the most beautiful women in the village to follow him.

"_Okay, I will admit. That is pretty impressive for him to do_." I mentally contemplated on his achievement.

I rushed behind them and stalked to where they are going. And from the looks of it, they are heading back to the gates. By late noon, they arrived at the gate walls and are waiting for permission to exit outside. The gates slowly opened, revealing the young monster behind them. I could hear what they are saying to the guards.

"Well then," the maiden tied the rope around the young monster's neck. "Here's the leash, now where is the escort?"

Time for my cue. I called out to her, "Here."

I also heard the dunderhead breathed out from his lips, "Oh god."

"You expected someone else?" I lashed at Bestinslot.

He was about retaliate, but it seemed Chantelle interjected him. She told me some parts of the past I do not want to hear. I had to end this now.

"Please, Chantelle, please let's go back to your house." I looked away from her.

We all huddled up with me leading them and proceeded to go to my captain's abode. A few minutes had passed, and I heard something from behind me. I turned around and spotted a situation between Lyddie and a small child. Somewhere around that time, the little child started crying after she Lyddie screamed in fury. Did she hurt the kid?

I reached out my blade to cease her aggressive nature. But a woman, supposedly the kid's mother, brushed me aside and confronted the monster. She was yelling furiously at Lyddie and it seemed like her eyes shined a bit because of upcoming tears. And before I knew it the woman smacked Lyddie across the cheek. The woman left a big pink imprint on her face. I should be happy about her getting taught a lesson. But I feel strangely nothing when she was punished. Odd.

Then the man finally did something I least expected from him. He grew some balls and started defending his monster's dignity. Through all this, he somehow scare off the woman from attacking Lyddie any further.

"_Hmm. Alright I'll give you that._"

After that event has passed we climbed up the hill and entered into Eideard's land. A perfect place to perch oneself up here and overlook the village. Very fitting abode for a captain of the village indeed. I dropped them off there and decided to leave the area since it was already showing signs that the sun is setting. Though Chantelle insisted that I should stay and keep them company. I had to deny that. I have already have favor to do for Raj. Once I made my point clear, I made my way through the village to head out the gates.

Raj was leaning over the stony wall, wearing the same clothes he was donning earlier. Over his shoulder is a leather satchel made from cow hide used for his harvesting expeditions. He has not exited the village yet and is waiting for my presence to go. When he saw me, he sauntered towards me.

With a gentle wave he greeted me, "Iris, ready to go?"

I have to assure we have everything though, "You have a weapon with you just in case?"

He pulled out a small but effective dagger from under his robes. The knife's ivory hilt bore a Dragon's head as a balance for the blade it wielded. The blade is double edged with an open slit in the middle of blade. The tip of dagger was sharp and on point. My gift to him when I was promoted as a Lieutenant; for raising me as his personal family. Because he is all I have since _that _night in my childhood.

"You kept it. I'm surprised you did after all these years." I commented. "Despite all that history of you losing your keys, money, vegetables, and herbs."

"Hey, if there is something I would still managed to keep, it would be your gifts to me." He remarked all so jovially. "They're the reason I fall asleep so peacefully."

I don't know why, but that statement forced me to turn me away from him because of embarrassment. He understood very well he hit something that irked me.

"Oh I see. If you were not favoring the bodies of women, you would be favoring my company more often."

I don't want to hear any more of this, "Just go and collect those fungi that you need."

"Why is your face red?" He jested.

"Shut up!" I barked.

He chuckled heartily. He soon exited through the gates and traversed deeper into the woods. I followed diligently, assuring that I have all sights on him at all times. He halted in his tracks in the forest; we were surrounded by the dense trees of this forest. Darkness began to engulf the land around us. The only illumination we have the moon's light shining down upon us.

We waited a few more minutes. Then we soon had other illumination sources that is closer to us. Various florescent mushrooms glowed in all assortments of colors. Red, Green, Blue, Purple, and Yellow all illuminate the darkness with their own luminescence. It is like seeing colored flames engulfing the area without the heat.

Raj soon told me, "Just keep on a look out for monsters. I'll identify which fungi is needed for the medicine."

I kept careful watch of the area we are in, my Claymore at the ready to strike. Nothing troubling has made a single sound at all. Just the obnoxious chirping of birds and the cricketing of crickets plagued this night. Not even one moan of death can be heard at all.

"_Strange, there was also a lack of monsters parading around yesterday as well. Did they all just stayed in their caves?_" I contemplated.

"So, let's talk about some stuff?" Raj spoke gloomily.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like about _that_ night."

I looked away, "Why do you want to talk about that night?"

"Because, to embrace the light, one must shine away the darkness of the past." Raj lectured. "I want to talk about it because it still bothers you to this day."

"We've lost our entire family at that night! Of course it would still haunt me!" I lashed at him.

"Yeah, I know. But we have to leave that behind." Raj said.

"Raj, you do not have a constant reminder of that night that is always so close to yourself!" I pointed at my scar.

Raj still went away harvesting the mushrooms, "I know it is more difficult for you. But I am trying to help ease your pain."

"You can only ease my pain by either bringing me the werewolf's head that took away my mother. Or you can just shut up about it all." I hissed.

"I know this will take time," He ignored me. "But we have to start somewhere."

"Or just not start at all!"

"Iris. Look at these mushrooms." He pointed them out. "These mushrooms brushed away the darkness on their own. You need to be like these mushrooms so you can light away the darkness on your own. Rather than just be engulfed in darkness until a light shows up."

"Raj … don't compare me to fungi. I'm fine as it is." I calmed myself down.

"If you want to talk about it …"

"I don't." I intercepted his sentence.

"But if you do, you know where to find me." Raj stated. He picked himself up from the ground and put away the fungi he collected from the ground. "I'm done here. I got what I needed."

"Okay, let's go."

Suddenly when we turned back to the direction of the village, we saw something that we have not predicted. It is a boy, more like a young man, standing in the road before us. His skin was of light brown tint. His gray eyes were contracted to sharp and thin slits. His hair is supposed to be for the elderly but he has such a young face. His unruly hair is gray all around except for that drooping strand of white hair in the middle of his face.

Awkwardly, we all stood there watching each other. We have to get out of here soon though. We could be surrounded by monsters any minute.

Raj tried to get his attention. "Hey you. Are you okay? Do you need help young man?"

The boy shifted his eyes at him and at me constantly but said no words. I stepped closer. "Are you alrig-"

But before I could finish my sentence, he darted towards me. There I can truly see what he is. He has the body of a young male but the arms, feet, and tail of a monster. The skin on his arm have been warped to look like a gray lizard's skin. And his hands, are replaced with four fingers, each finger fashioned with the large talons of a beast. His feet are deformed as well. They were covered in lizard skin as well. His toes were fashioned with horrible talons as well. But one talon in each of his feet is curved to resemble a Karambit blade except more curved and thicker. His tail was definitely that of gray lizard. And the worst thing imaginable, he is completely naked.

He as he darted towards me with extreme speed, his right hand extended wide. He latched that hand onto my stomach. And with that one hand he lifted me up off the ground for a short distance and smashed me down to the dirt. I didn't have enough time to even pull out my Claymore. He raised his foot off from the ground and was about to stomp on me with his large toe claw.

Luckily, Raj was there to help. He tackled onto the creature to the ground and began wailing on him with his fists. He had gotten one good solid punch to the creature. After that, the animal caught his fist and kicked Raj off of him. I stood up with my Claymore at hand charged at the monster. I swung at him but he dodged the slash by diving and rolling behind me. I turned around and he throw three strong and fast jabs at my chest. I staggered a bit. I have to retaliate against him. I made a straight kicked towards his body. Suddenly, the boy managed to grab my kick. He flipped my leg to make me fall onto the ground. My face was down at the ground where gripped at my head with large hand. He pommeled my head onto the ground. I could feel the cold and stinging touch of blood running down my head.

Again Raj was there to help to me. He pulled out his knife and was slashing away at the monster. The creature leapt off of me to escape from Raj's flurry. They were face to face. Raj made a swing at the bastard creature. But with amazing speed, he prevented Raj from finishing his slash. And within a swift second, the animal stabbed onto Raj's left shoulder with its right talons. I heard the sharp sound of bone being ripped apart from his body. Raj yelled out in pain.

The creature was not done yet. He spread out his fingers and it ripped Raj's arm off in such an instant. I didn't even have time to stand up. The animal pushed him away with a kick. He was about to go in for the kill though. But it halted itself and stared into Raj's torn off arm. The animal rushed to it and took the removed arm away from us. I couldn't focus on the monster escaping from. I need to help Raj.

I sprinted to Raj. He was lying there, bleeding excessively because of his amputated arm. All around him is a small pool of his blood spilling everywhere.

"Raj! Raj! Are you still with me?!" I frantically called out to him.

He wheezed in pain. "Oh crap! It hurts. Please, get me help."

"Alright, alright. Don't worry. I know who to go to." I told him. I picked him up with all my strength. His blood tainting my armor, but I did not care. He needs to get help immediately.

He gurgled in pain when I picked him up. "_I know it hurts Raj. But stay with me. Once I get you to her, you'll be fine._"

**Author's Notes: Yeah, the Deinonychus makes an appearance. And guys, take note of the details I say. They'll be important later on. And yes this is quick. Even for me. Hopefully it is good for you all.**


	9. SRM

Chapter 9: S.R.M

"That is what happened." Iris wailed.

Raj has been taken to Chantelle and Eideard's room for medication for his severed arm. He is laid on their bed as he heals. Chantelle is doing all she can with Amare to assess the damages done to him. Iris had streams of tears running down her cheeks this entire time. This was a first for everyone there. Even Eideard has not seen this much tears at all from Iris since the attempted affair debacle.

Iris couldn't stop bawling her eyes out. Eideard and Bestinslot wanted to give her some space to let it all out. Lyddie decided to stay behind to comfort Iris, if that is all possible currently. Eideard and Bestinslot stepped out of the house and into the shelter of the starry skies above. Eideard stood before the staircase leading to his home and overlooked the village. He is definitely pondering on what to do next on how to deal with this new monster.

"Eideard?" Bestinslot caught his Scottish friend's attention. "What are you going to do about this?"

It took a while for Eideard to answer anything, "Ah main hae tae mobilize a huntin' ceilidh tae gang an' kill whatever 'at hin' is. (I may have to mobilize a hunting party to go and kill whatever that thing is.)"

"_No. I need that Deinonychus alive!_" Bestinslot contemplated on his next words. "Look, you cannot do that."

"An' wa Ah cannae dae sae? (And why I cannot do so?)"

"Don't you need these soldiers to protect the village?"

"Och aye, but wi' thes runnin' abit, we cannae allaw it terrorize an' maeem onie other bodie ootwith th' walls. (Yes, but with this running about, we cannot allow it terrorize and maim any other person outside the walls.)" Eideard explained. "We hae tae dae somethin' abit sic' a volatile an' unknoon monster. (We have to do something about such a volatile and hostile monster.)"

"We don't know anything about this new animal." He debated some more, hoping to buy some time to concoct a perfect plan.

"I'm sorry mukker but it seems sic' a radge monster. We hae tae gang an' kill it afair it can strike again. (I'm sorry friend but it seems such a dangerous monster. We have to go and kill it before it can strike again.)"

He had to do something to persuade Eideard not to hunt down his Deinonychus. But it seemed that he won't be able stopped him. Until he thought of a brilliant plan, or at least a capable plan to assure that he can obtain the Deinonychus.

"Hey, it maybe suicide if you send a hunting group to track this animal." He continued in retaliating against Eideard. "It may never come back here anyway."

"So, we have to deal with the demon as soon as possible." Eideard dejected in his words.

Bestinslot seemed his suggestions will be tossed away. He proposed his plan. "How about we adapt the patrol schedules just in case. So we don't have to go on a wild goose chase? And we can have patrols working on groups of threes. And start it by tomorrow morning."

Eideard was tempted to take on the offer. But he backed away to asked this reason.

"Wa ur ye sae interested in nae killin' thes devil by huntin' it doon? (Why are you so interested in not killing this devil by hunting it down?)"

Bestinslot kept a straight and serious face. "I don't think it can be much of a threat if there are more people around. If it is fast, it has to be very weak in return. Meaning it won't last a long fight against armored combatants. If we all huddle together, it won't dare attack on a group on its own. It would most likely retreat to take down lone targets. And it would be such a waste of recourse if this was a lone animal. We'll just scare it off with patrols all around the town."

"But Iris an' Raj waur together. (But Iris and Raj were together.)"

"They were. But Raj had no armor on. And he lacked experience in battle." He pointed out. "Your soldiers, they are the exact opposite."

"Ah see whit ye pure techt. (I see what you mean.)" Eideard stroked his bristled chin as he pondered on the plans.

"Also, I would like to join in patrolling the village." He bluntly demanded.

"Whit?! Wa?! (What?! Why?!)" Eideard burst out in confusion.

"Because, I want to see this monster for myself."

"Ye coods be killed! (You could be killed!)"

"Then train me."

"Train ye? In a whole day? (Train you? In a whole day?)" Eideard inquired more in confusion of the topic.

"Yes. I learn fast. I can do it." He expressed his dedication.

"Let me join too." A known and shy young voice interjected the conversation.

Eideard and Bestinslot rotated themselves to the house direction. The voice emanated behind the house's door. The door opened and behind it was Lyddie. Her eyes had the glint of determination of a warrior.

"_How long have she been eavesdropping on us?_" Bestinslot questioned himself.

"Ur ye sure lassie? Thes is a radge monster (Are you sure girl? This is a dangerous monster.)" Eideard attempted to discourage from battle.

"I too am a dangerous creature." Lyddie finally revealed the shield and tail to him.

"_Oh crap. I forgot he hadn't seen Lyddie's full body yet._"

Eideard stood there in shock. But after a few seconds he brushed away her physical appearance very quickly. "(Well, I see what you mean. But you're still a child.)"

Lyddie glared at him. "I don't care. I won't be stopped from fighting this monster because I am a child."

Eideard closed his eyes in satisfaction. He muffled a bit of his laughter. "(You remind me of my wife and Iris. They won't take no for answer if they don't like it.)"

"_Lyddie please. Change your mind before he answer yes. This is my fight, not yours._"

But fate is so cruel to Bestinslot. "Alrecht sure. But ye hae tae heed mah commands an' calls. (Alright sure. But you have to heed my commands and calls.)"

Lyddie bowed her head in acceptance of the conditions.

"Alrecht, ye tois. We'll begin trainin' fur battle tha' moorns nicht. (Alright, you two. We'll begin training for battle tomorrow.)" Eideard declared. "I'll heed back inside an' see if Raj is stabilized. (I'll head back inside and see if Raj is stabilized.)"

He reentered his abode and left the fool and the girl alone on the stairway. Bestinslot's face was red with anger.

"Why did you do that Lyddie?" He bellowed at the Triceratops girl.

"You mean join the fight?" She stared at him in a voice so straightforwardly. "If you want to know a reason why, well I want the people to trust me. I don't want them to think as a monster like what Iris fought. And if I bring it down, I will be hailed as a hero."

"Lyddie," He wanted to go against her plans of eliminating the Deinonychus. But he knows he doesn't want to hurt her hopes for belonging into their society. "I just … don't want you to get hurt by all this. I'm your father. Self-proclaimed father, yes. But a father nonetheless."

Lyddie gazed her shiny eyes down at Bestinslot. "Thank you … dad." She hugged him dearly, she even lifted him up from the ground. He just realized, as she was hugging him, she was taller than him by about three inches. And extremely strong if she were capable of picking him up with ease.

"_Wow. You're a big girl aren't you?_" He mentally took note of her size. "Um, Lyddie? Can you put me down? I want to go to sleep."

"Oh, okay." She laid his feet back to the ground. "But, where are we going to sleep?"

"I'll go inside if Eideard and Chantelle have some room for us to bunk in for the night."

* * *

Bestinslot found himself sleeping on the wooden floor with blankets on top of him. Lyddie was asleep on the couch of the home with her armor still on. Iris was nowhere in the room, probably with Raj to look after him. Amare is probably back to his little blacksmith shop. And Eideard stood over the lit fireplace, with arms folded with one over the other.

Bestinslot whispered, "Eideard? What are you doing up so early?"

"Ah, mukker. Yoo're waukin' … guid. (Ah, friend. You're awake … good.)" Eideard greeted him. "Better wake 'at dochter ay yoors, we ur startin' noo. (Better wake that daughter of yours, we are starting now.)"

"Really, this instant?" Bestinslot looked out the window. "The sun hasn't even come out yet."

"Better noo than later. We shoods gie an early start. (Better now than later. We should get an early start.)" Eideard clarified his schedule. "Ah awreddy hae rescheduled mah soldiers' patrol schedules beforehain. An' if yoo're wonderin' abit mah lieutenant, she is relieved ay duty sae she can bide wi' Raj as he is healin'. (I already have rescheduled my soldiers' patrol schedules beforehand. And if you're wondering about my lieutenant, she is relieved of duty so she can stay with Raj as he is healing.)"

"Got it." Bestinslot understood clearly on what to do. He crept up to Lyddie and started tapping at her head to wake her up. She woke up with her hair at a mess and with still groggily eyes.

"Dad? Why did you wake me up? Is it morning already?" She questioned him.

"No, but we are going straight to training now. Eideard said so."

"What?! Really?" She leapt off the couch and landed on her bare feet. She is like an energetic child going on to her first day of school. Confident and full of eagerness.

"Okay, I'll go get my Schiavona and armor and we'll go."

Lyddie was waiting outside for him to be ready. He equipped all his weaponry and armor and head out the door. They both traversed down the stairs and was introduced by Eideard by the end of the stairway.

"Alright. Follow me. We have plenty to do. And time is short." He warned them.

"Yes sir!" Lyddie proclaimed. Bestinslot just stood there and thought nothing of acting a soldier himself.

Eideard walked down a path the two have never seen. They went left of where they were and followed a dirt road, barely untouched by human influence. There were traces of boots stomping around the area, but that was it. The rest was filled with small vegetation, passive fauna, and small stones. They walked about a few kilometers, until reached an area that was quite unexpected.

They were subjected to small natural clearing. On the center of the field was wooden ring arena. The wooden fences seemed to have rotten for quite a while, but still stood perfectly around the area. The ground in the field was filled with patches of grass. And beside the arena was three empty weapon racks that infested with termites and other unpleasant insects. Alongside the weapon racks were old sack training dummies attached with wooden poles

"Um, what is this place?" She asked in curiosity.

"(Oh, it was our old training site a decade ago. Now it is replaced with a wider and better armaments.)" Eideard asked.

"Why can't we just use that place other than this?" He asked the Scottish knight.

"Coz ay 'er. (Because of her.)" He pointed at Lyddie. "Mah knights arenae acceptin' ay 'er kin' jist yit. Especially whit happened yesterday, Ah cannae hae 'er aroond an' hae a' fowk practice their weaponry oan 'er. But unlike mah knights, Ah dinnae caur whit ye dae. As lang Ah ken ye hae a heart ay passion, 'en Ah am braw wi' it. (My knights are not accepting of her kind just yet. Especially what happened yesterday, I cannot have her around and have everyone practice their weaponry on her. But unlike my knights, I do not care what you do. As long I know you have a heart of passion, then I am fine with it.)"

Lyddie sulked her head in shame. Her father empathized her feeling of the pain of loneliness. Lyddie stopped sulking of her guilt and gave off this glare of determination.

"Mr. Knight, when are we going to start?" She demanded.

"Guid question bairn. We start noo. (Good question child. We start now.)" Eideard released his blade from its sheath with his left hand. "Baith ay ye tak' turns wi' usin' th' Schiavona. (Both of you take turns with using the Schiavona.)"

The eager students nodded their head and prepared for the practice match.

* * *

They trained non-stop until sunset. No breakfast no, no lunch, not even a five-minute break. Just only three minutes for drinking water provided by Amare. Eideard and Bestinslot could feel their muscles pulsating in muscle sprain, but they kept trudging on. They were perspiring with such immensity that one could fill a bucket of their sweat. Lyddie, however faced no such exhaustion like the guys except a few sweat drops here and there. Other than, she is fine. In fact she wanted to keep on training some more.

Eideard held up his hand and wheezed, "'At is it fur noo. Ah hink ye tois ur ready fur a real barnie wi' th' monster. (That is it for now. I think you two are ready for a real fight with the monster.)"

Bestinslot was so satisfied with the training being over he hastily slumped down on his arse on the dirt floor. He could feel his muscles quaking in pain from that brutal training. All that time it was dealing with basic slashes and thrusts with their steel weaponry. He would thought that when he had to hand his Schiavona to Lyddie, he can rest. No, he had to several laps around the arena until they switch again. It was all too brutal. But it was all worth it.

But the dinosaur loving fool had discovered something of great importance. Something that it would allow him to catch the attention of the loose Deinonychus. But in order for him to do so, he had to be gone for quite some time. He undesirably rose back to his feet and started walking back to the village.

"Dad? Where are you going?" She inquired to Bestinslot.

"Lyddie, I am going to the village for a while to get an errand. Wait by the gates for Eideard. If I don't come back, tell him to stay there." He rasped in displeasure.

"Alright. I will." Lyddie obeyed him and ended her training. She sprinted all the way back to the gates of the town. She tried her best to avoid looking at the eyes of the people around her. She doesn't want their judgmental gazes to haunt her forever. She want to see their loving and affectionate praises when she brings them the hide of the monster.

By the gates she waited out for three minutes until Eideard come by to prepare his nightly patrol duties. They waved at each other to greet each other but never spoke any words. As they waited for Bestinslot, Eideard crossed his arms and leaned on the stony walls. Lyddie just sat down on the grass, observing the small rodents that pass by. A little white rabbit even approached Lyddie without caution and gave her some company.

"Aww, you're so cute you little mammal." Lyddie admired the mammal in her palm. Eventually she placed the rabbit on her head and it was sitting nice and perfectly on her scalp.

Eideard had to break the benevolent relationship. "Lyddie, whaur is he? (Lyddie, where is he?)"

"Oh, he told me that he had to go to the village to get something."

"When dae ye hink he will come back? Nicht is near. (When do you think he will come back? Night is near.)" He observed the skies above. The clear sky was dyed to a dark blue tint.

"I don't know. He hasn't told me a specified time to where he would coming back."

"He shoods coorie up 'en. (He should hurry up then.)" He whined.

By the "speak of the devil", the fool has arrived. And he arrived to be mentally exhausted more than anything. He had wrinkles under his eyes and his expression his annoyance. And behind him was a white hen following him. Clucking away to get the seeds in the man's hand.

"Awrite mukker. Um, wa is thaur a chookie wi' ye? (Hello friend. Um, why is there a chicken with you?)" Eideard asked.

"I'm going to need it. I want to find the creature too and take it down." He fibbed. "So maybe we need some bait so we can lure the animal here."

"Why? Isn't that we don't want."

"Trust me. We can have your soldiers catch it when we have the right place." He explained to the knight. "Why don't you rally up your knights and I set the bait okay?"

"Hmm. Ah didn't thooght ay 'at. Braw plan mah mukker. Alrecht thes is much a better plan than patrollin' aroond an' waitin' fur it tae lat at. Ah will gang tae men. Ye dae whit ye need tae dae. (Hmm. Ah didn't thooght ay 'at. Braw plan mah mukker. Alrecht thes is much a better plan than patrollin' aroond an' waitin' fur it tae lat at. Ah will gang tae men. Ye dae whit ye need tae dae. (Hmm. I didn't thought of that. Nice plan my friend. Alright this is much a better plan than patrolling around and waiting for it to attack. I will go to men. You do what you need to do.)"

"What do I do?" Lyddie demanded directives.

"Lyddie, I'll need your help. Come with me." Bestinslot replied. "I'll see you later."

The group dispersed with Eideard heading back to the village. Lyddie and Bestinslot turned right to the dense forest and travelled forward. After a few minutes, they were subjected to the darkness that plagued the land and sky with only the moon as their luminescence. For the first time, the hoots of owls can be heard echoing throughout the forest. The screeches of bats haunt the tall trees above them. Shuffling bushes can be heard but they never wavered.

Finally they had to stop in the dense part of the forest. They were far away from the town that they could no longer see the signs of the wall or traces of human presence. Perfect. It would give him enough time to tame and relocate the Deinonychus to his house. He fed the chicken a few seeds, so he could keep it obedient. Lyddie's little rabbit began to shift about. It probably wants to get down from her head by now.

Lyddie latched onto the rabbit's neck skin and gently set it down to the ground.

Her father admired the rabbit's cute figure, "Aw Lyddie it is so cute. What's its name?"

"I don't know. Maybe I would call it Fluffers since it is so fluffy."

"It is adorable. Hi Fluffers!" He greeted the white bunny.

But the rabbit shifted uncontrollably and skittered away from the group. But so did the chicken follow the little rabbit's trail.

"Fluffers no! It's dangerous to go alone." Lyddie yelled. She was about to go after the small mammal and avian. However, she stopped midway. Her pupils were contracted to barely a brown dot in her eyes. She was frozen in a running stance.

"Lyddie?" Bestinslot broke her trance. She rushed to Bestinslot's side and prepared her shield her arm for battle.

By then he understood full well what she was doing. He gulped in nervousness and pulled out the Schiavona. They waited for the Deinonychus to reveal itself and attack them. They waited and waited. Just utter complete silence during the waiting period. But silence was all broken when the chicken that ran away made an ear-piercing cluck that echoed throughout the night. It seemed the pain-ridden clucks were close and it was to the right of them.

"Shit. It went after the bird." He cursed. "Lyddie let's go."

"How about the rest of the knights?" She asked.

"No time. We'll lose it if we don't go after it."

Lyddie was reluctant for a second. But she realize the priority of subduing the Deinonychus is more important than her own safety. They chased after the sounds of the dying clucks of the chicken. When they reached the scene of where the sound possibly originated, they found white feathers and blood. Bestinslot and Lyddie surveyed the scene to find any clues pertaining where the raptor went. A trail of feathers is shown to be leading them to the left of where this place was.

"C'mon, it haven't gotten far."

They sprinted as much as they could to follow the trail as much as possible. They traversed deeper and deeper into the forest. Ultimately, Bestinslot caught sight of the bastard running through the dense forest.

"I see it! Follow me." As he pointed to the Deinonychus's location.

The creature had its ears directed to Bestinslot. It turned its head and found those two on its tail. And they are closing in, fast. It roared and bellowed in annoyance and mad dashed to get out of their sight. With amazing speed he managed to lose their sight. But that did not stop these two. Their pursuit is not over until the Deinonychus is caught.

Eventually the Deinonychus did stop in a secluded location. An open green grassy plain with a few objects such as fallen logs or large rocks that fill the area. He stopped to fight. But not to fight his pursuers. He had much more blood-driven enemies to deal with.

The Deinonychus hybrid was surrounded by the demons that the village had feared. Eight Ghouls and three Green Devils were closing in on the Deinonychus. Bestinslot and Lyddie hid behind a fallen log and examined what is going on.

The ghouls were horrendous in both smell and sight. Their skin were rotten to the core. Some of their limbs were either missing or dismembered from their bodies. One of the ghouls had an eyeball drooping from its eye socket. Puffs of green vapor can be seen from their decaying mouths. And like the decaying Dilophosaurus, they were terribly foul to take a whiff at to make one cry. They walk as if there were chains restricting their limbs and legs. If they had one. And by judging by what those ghouls were wearing, they were donning modern apparel.

"_So some of the dead passengers of the cruise became these things. Luckily I didn't become one of them._"

"Look. Guess he will be killed by his own demonic beings then. Let's leave." Lyddie stated.

Bestinslot however had different plans. That Deinonychus is possibly the only chance he got to returning to his family. If he were to die, Bestinslot is stuck there. Forever.

Under his breath, "No."

"What?!"

Bestinslot charged into the fray with Schiavona ready to slash away his enemies. Without stopping his running assault, he was able to slash and kill two ghouls by severing their heads from their bodies. The bodies plopped onto the ground and lain there.

"I will not let you die!" He shouted.

Lyddie sought out to defend Bestinslot nonetheless, even with his reckless endeavor. She charged in there as well, with her Triceratops skull ready to crush and trample. Her charge was able to blast away three ghouls to the floor. Their bones and bodies were crushed and eviscerated by the sudden blunt force.

The Deinonychus however was in major problematic position. The remaining ghouls have blocked all his path for escape and were slowly shambling towards him. Behind him, a ghoul was surely about to grip its bloody fingers on his skin. However, he was quick enough to strafe away from the undead human. Then he would relay a counter attack against the demon.

He kicked forward and straight to the ghoul's abdomen. A short spittle of blood leaked off the monster's mouth from the impact. The Deinonychus use its left leg and side kicked it. The ghoul stayed in place however was indisputably stunned by the assault. To finish it off, the Deinonychus human lifted its left leg high into the air, raising the huge curved claw on its big toe. From there it smashed down the ghoul with its large claw, stabbing it with the claw during the takedown.

The ghoul was dead and done. No movement whatsoever. Another ghoul was about to latched its jaws onto the Deinonychus. But the dinosaur hybrid sweep the floor with its right leg, turning to a complete 270 degrees from its position. The ghoul's legs and thighs was dismembered from its body and was brought down to the floor. It was still alive to bite and move. So the dinosaur stomped hard onto the ghoul's cheek and once again stabbed its huge talon onto the remaining brain cavity. Another ghoul was dead again on the floor.

The other ghoul that was going to attack the Deinonychus was halted by Bestinslot. From the back of the vile undead monster, he stabbed through its chest. The resonances of steel on flesh resounded through his ears. He simply kicked down the monster, causing it to drop down to the dirt. It was still able to crawl and move. So Bestinslot leapt onto the demon's body and decapitated it with quick slash.

Bestinslot hurriedly stood up from himself and gazed at the animal he created. A son that he did not expect. The creature glared back at him, with malice rather than astonishment. The boy growled at him to see he could scare the man off. He did not waver from where he stood, rather he took out his hand and offered it to him. The boy was backed away in confusion rather than caution.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here so I can protect you." Bestinslot relayed to the Deinonychus boy. "I am here to help you. Just let me."

He reached out close to get the boy's hand. To get the child to trust him.

But that chance was ruined when Lyddie called out for him, "Bestinslot! I'm surrounded by these Green Devils. I need your help!"

"Crap!" He cursed. "Okay Lyddie! I'm coming!" he yelled. He faced the child, "Don't go anywhere. I will go help your sister."

The Deinonychus rather not stand here to fight some more. He is getting out of there as soon as possible. But as he was about to take off, he struck something very bony and thin.

Bestinslot dashed to Lyddie's location all three Green Devils are closing in her position and are hissing nonstop. Lyddie had kept her distance away from them, but eventually she will slip up. Bestinslot slashed at one of the Green Devil's head. He punctured through a thin wooden skin. But it wasn't enough to take it down. It started to go after him instead.

He stepped back from it hoping it wouldn't do the horrid destruction or so he heard of. When he ran far enough, he made another lunge the monster. He slashed horizontally on the torso of the plant-like demon. It stuttered a bit to the left and still made its approach towards him, its hissing louder than ever. In a last-minute chance to kill it off, he impaled the monster's eye sockets straight through it. The blade was seen outside of its supposed head.

A Green Devil was getting to close to Lyddie's liking. She was about hop away from the demon's radius, but she slipped up her footing and crashed down on her arse. The devil's hissing was getting louder and louder than ever. In the spur of the moment, she tackled onto the monster and started pulverizing the head with the beak of her skull shield. After about two bone crushing and eviscerating and painful smashes with her shield, what is left of the Green Devil's head is just a green and gooey mush.

However, that did not intervene the other Green Devil that approached to her. They were absolutely face to face. It was standing there, looking straight to her eyes as well as she. But it did not hissed like it always should. It just halted in its tracks. No assault. No bite. Nothing.

"_What is going on?_" She contemplated on the mentality of the devil.

"Lyddie! Get out of there!" Exclaimed Bestinslot.

Suddenly, the monster's empty sockets glowed white. Its body was slightly expanding like a balloon. The Green Devil's body was pulsating like madness like it was being electrocuted. Lyddie then fully comprehended of what is happening right now. It was about to detonate this area. She hastily jumped away from the monster with her shield to block her face from the explosion. It chased after her but …

_Boom._

The entire area in Lyddie's position was completely dissolved within a blink of an eye. The explosion was like a grenade going off. The explosion was not that big, but it was devastating nonetheless. Dust and dirt clouds plagued the explosion site. Bestinslot rushed through the scene.

"Lyddie! Lyddie! Are you alright?" He coughed in the dusty air.

When the dust had settled, Lyddie was lying on the grass. She was quite far from the area of detonation. Bestinslot sprinted to her side to see if she needs help. He slid down and kneeled to her side. There he could see such power the Green Devil had. With just that explosion, her entire skeletal shield was eviscerated by the blast. What is left of it was her arm's division of skin and flesh and a hollowed bone. Her face was cut up by bone shrapnel or stones. But it seemed it hadn't had hit anywhere that is important.

"God Lyddie. I'm so sorry I got you into this." He sobbed.

Lyddie opened her eyes, "Look I'm fine. I will remove these things off of me. I don't need your help." She attempted to assure him. "But I want you to make sure that he doesn't escape."

"Okay. Just get out of here." He whispered to her. "Alright?"

She nodded her head in comprehension to his orders. Wearily, she stood up from the ground. She was about to move away until something caught her attention from the corner of her eye.

"Bestinslot! Look out!" She pointed to his right.

He turned his head to the right and saw the Deinonychus flown right to him. They both collided to a mess with them crashing to the ground. Bestinslot slid and rolled to the floor and lain on his belly due to him being semi-conscious from the collision. Once regain his consciousness, he hopped back up for another battle. The Deinonychus however made a quick recovery by rolling back into a fighting stance.

There they both are embraced to the sight of the monster that crashed them together. The demon was insanely tall, towering over any normal human can be with its stilt-like legs. It stood on hoof-like heels and the four fingers were abnormally long each tipped with sharp end. The arms are unbelievably thin and small, it could possibly just touch the floor by just bending down slightly. On its back were these small plates that act as more cosmetics rather than defensive plating. And the head was strangely human-shaped but the rest of its features are out of this world.

The skin was of obsidian black. Its horizontally oval shaped eyes illuminated in Byzantium purple. From the looks of it, it had no mouth whatsoever on the face, rather it seemed to be replaced with a smooth, black stone mask. Above its eyes was this naturally armored crest. In its shoulders were outfitted with in the same natural black stone armor. Its torso retained the same evolutionary armor as well. So did its kneecaps and elbows obtained this strange natural body plates. And it was emanating this purplish-pink gas spores that seemed to dissipate within thirty centimeters from its body.

The Deinonychus charged at the soaring monster head on. The demon realized at his assault and immediately dissolved into its gas. The Deinonychus stopped in his tracks wondering where the monster had gone. However, the monster rematerialized right behind him and smacked him, launching the Deinonychus for 180 centimeters. He flew high into the sky and hit the ground hard, spurting little amounts blood from mouth. He tried to regain his stance and made another attempt to attack the monster. But it rematerialized in front of him again and gripped his throat with only hand. It was ready to crush his windpipe without mercy.

Bestinslot ran up behind the Dark Light Assassin and slashed at its popliteal fossa. The cut was incapable of reaching any of its tendons, and rather made a small and jagged cut. The Assassin noticed this and dropped the Deinonychus and targeted Bestinslot. It jabbed at him which promptly knocked him to the dirt ground. Lyddie attempted to rescue Bestinslot despite her injuries. The Dark Light Assassin caught wind of her approached and rushed at her as well.

* * *

The Deinonychus stood up and saw the Assassin's ruthless attempt to end their lives. He should run away and let the demon do whatever it wants with them. But honestly, something is halting his escape. Like some form of non-existent wall is blocking his way to flee from the battle. His heart pounded rapidly than ever before. He turned around and examined the brutal beat downs that his pursuers are sustaining.

"_Don't leave them._"

Why is this happening? This is not what his instincts are telling him; he should just leave them to die for him to live another day. But something else that he has never acknowledged as part of his life before is telling him to stop running and help them. His heart ached for the desire of saving them from death. His body ached for them to live. His mind ached for their survival. His arms began shaking uncontrollably. His feet went numbed for several seconds. His tail was wagging was having its own seizure. His pupils contracted to little slits. Then an unexpected transformation occurred.

His pupils had changed their gray tint into glowing silver lines that shined in the darkness. His forearms sprouted silver white feathers. His posterior malleolus sprouted the same feathers as well. His tail followed has done the same and grew feathers out of reptile-like tail. His strand of white hair began to straighten up from his and stood up. From there, a line of white hairs started to form a perfect line from his head and stood up as well. He bellowed in the slight pain and rage.

All what is in his head now, "Kill! Kill! Kill the demon!"

He made an ear piercing screech that echoed throughout the land. He dashed towards the monstrosity in front of him. As the boy ran, he left this trail of silvery white lights from his eyes. The Dark Light Assassin noticed his approach and attempted to disappear to its gas spores. However, the Deinonychus refused to let him have that chance. He leapt into the air and crashed his claws into the demon's face before it disappeared. The assassin plunged onto the soil with a small quake to the earth.

Still the demon dissolved to the gas around it. It reemerged in the sky above and descended back to the earth by gravity. Although, its misery is not over yet. The Deinonychus flashed from one point to the next. Eventually, the Dark Light Assassin was in the presence of the Deinonychus once more in breathing distance. The Deinonychus clenched onto the assassin's shoulders and pulled it down with amazing strength. He gave a high knee up to its chin, a distinct sound of bone shattering by the impact resounded in the location for a sharp second. He rotated his body to be behind the Dark Light Assassin. With his claws, he pierced the demon's back and pulled himself down to tear its flesh away. Purple ooze tainted his gray skin and talons as he brought himself to the ground. Once he reached the floor, the demon stood there with its vertebral completely cut opened with large gashes. Ultimately, the demon dropped to its knees and collapsed to the grass. Its violet blood staining the green glass below it.

The Deinonychus was panting in exhaustion. His feathers retracted back inside to his body. The strands of white hair dissolved back to its gray variant. But the white hair that stood up first remained white and instead returned to its drooping in the middle of his face. His legs wobbled in pain. In the end, he gave into his exhaustion and fainted onto the floor.

**Author's Notes: Guess what S.R.M is. Also I would like to thank Salooverall for allowing me to use her Enderman's design for the Fanfiction. I would like to thank my friend again for showing me some martial arts moves when dealing with the ghouls. It is very fitting for the Deinonychus character. And I will be naming the future chapters from now on. And take note of what I written. Those details will be very important later on. Thank you.**


	10. A new Perspective

Chapter 10: A new Perspective

**12 minutes ago**

The two warriors evacuated from there as their target eviscerated La Assassino Noire. Once he was decimating the stilt-legged bastard, he dropped to his knees and collapsed on the ground. They stood there motionless in awe and fear from what had transpired in front of them.

"_Shit. I can't believe he managed to kill that monster just by himself._" Lyddie contemplated.

"_Such power. I didn't know he can do that._" Bestinslot complimented. "_Does that mean Lyddie can do the same thing?_"

Bestinslot cleared his head from such curious distractions. Rather he rushed to the side of the Deinonychus. When he reached there, he found out that the Deinonychus is actually still conscious from the battle. The Deinonychus just gave into the exhaustion of his legs. He was panting uncontrollably from the fight, it was amazing he haven't passed out at all. The boy glared at Bestinslot with fear and malice.

"Pagod ako." He wheezed.

"What? Did you say something?" Bestinslot asked in confusion.

"Hindi ka marunong mag Tagalog?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know what you're saying."

"Okay … bobo." He hissed. "I am tired."

"Oh. Okay so you know English. That's good." Bestinslot sighed in relief.

"What do you want with me?" He inquired.

"I want to help you."

"Bakit?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry. It is hard. My mind is telling me to talk to you in your tongue. But my mouth is just translating it all to Tagalog." He explained. "Why? Why do you want to help me?"

Bestinslot hesitated to say. Eventually he breathed, "There are people out there who wants you dead. And I don't want that to happen to anyone who is relatively innocent."

He already figured out it was lie. "Heh? Don't lie to me. Tell me the truth?" He demanded.

Bestinslot shocked expression gave away any chance for him to lie. "Okay." He leaned closer and whispered to the Deinonychus ears, "I am … your dad. Sort of. But I want you live still. You're my responsibility."

The Deinonychus boy whispered back, "And?"

He exhaled in annoyance, "I need you to do me a favor."

"Thank you."

"So please come with me."

Lyddie had obstructed in their conversation. "Are you going to get rid of him or not?"

Bestinslot had to reveal what is going on soon. Better start now than to have any more complications in the future.

"Lydd-" He started to speak out. But something astonished him so much he forgot to say what needed to be said.

"What? Is there something wrong?" She asked.

He shook his head back to reality. He pointed at her face. "Lyddie your face! It's … no longer cut up."

"Really?" She touched her face. She run her fingers down her cheek and felt no pain or cuts. It was as smooth as ever. As if she never even fought the Green Devil.

Bestinslot slid his eyes over her shield. He gasped in bewilderment from he is seeing in front of him. Her shield. Her Triceratops skull shield is slowly forming back to place. It seemed to be very liquid-like at sight. And it seemed to be repairing itself from the blast.

"Lyddie, you're healing. Healing at an alarming rate." He stated. "_How could she do that? Maybe it was because she was a child born out of laboratory tube rather than the natural way.._" He examined the Deinonychus, "Can you do that?"

"Do I look like I can do that?" He hissed. Bestinslot waited for several minutes to see if it was replicated. Nothing happened. He is still numbed from fighting.

"Why do ask that he can do the same as me?" Lyddie queried.

"Lyddie," Bestinslot started to ramble on the truth. "You were not the first one born." He pointed his index finger at the boy. "He is the first born. He is your older brother."

Her eyes contracted to a tiny marbles. "What?"

"This is your brother."

"I'm related to this … monster."

"Lyddie, he as much as a monster as you. Which means, he is not a monster."

"Iris's story proves otherwise."

"Lyddie, please. I beg of you. Bear with him." He pleaded.

"Why should I?" Lyddie jeered at his words.

"Not now. I don't have time to explain."

Bestinslot gripped onto the boy's left arm and lifted him back up. The Deinonychus is still incapable of using his legs for now and just drooping there. The boy hissed menacingly at his pain. He was about to take him back to the lab for encampment. But paused in his steps because of the utter realization that he had forgotten all about Eideard's knightly squad.

"_Crap. I have to tell them to call off the hunt. I have taken care of their problem with Lyddie._"

"Lyddie, can you get the other arm? And can you take him back to our house on your own? I need to talk to Eideard." Bestinslot asked.

"No." She uttered under breath.

"Lyddie, this isn't the time to start being rebellious, your brother needs to rest."

"He is not my brother. He will never be." She jeered.

"Please. If you're not going to do this for him. Do this for me."

She stared at her adoptive father with sympathy. She sighed in annoyance of the situation. "Alright sure. But you have to clear this up with the others."

Bestinslot nodded yes. "_I will. But not now. I need time to do this._"

Lyddie grabbed onto his right arm and slung it over her neck. His claws are right up onto her neck. As she hold him down, she severely placed a death grip on the Deinonychus's shoulders.

"Aray!" He howled in pain.

Bestinslot disregarded his plea, thinking it was the battle are causing his ache. "Lyddie, you know where to go?"

"Yeah. I won't get lost here. I know where to go." Lyddie answered.

"Okay. Tell me. I want to be sure." He demanded assurance.

"Okay." Lyddie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a four seconds, she answered, "Home is right of here and go straight. From eventually after a few minutes of walking about, we could see the lights of the house."

"Really?"

"Just trust me. Because I trust in you right now."

"Alright. If you say so." Bestinslot faced the direction they came from. "If you don't reach home by tomorrow morning, I will be going through the woods to find you."

"Okay see you later."

Bestinslot said, "Goodbye. And don't get into trouble." He then sprinted at full speed out of there.

"Okay carnivore. Let's get out of here."

After several minutes had passed of walking through the coniferous forest, Lyddie could notice the yellow lights of the mysterious structure.

"Ha! Found it. He should trust me more." Lyddie exclaimed in pride.

She shuffled the Deinonychus worn out body and dragged him further. As she was tugging him to the house, he decided to make a conversation to pass the time.

"So, you think you're like those hairless primates?"

She was baffled at his behavior. "You imbécile. At least I am more civil than you. You savage beast."

"Check the mirror little sister. I think you need to redefine the definition of beast." The Deinonychus scoffed. "Because I see a prime example of beast right here in my eyes."

"You're nothing more than a willing murderer."

"And you're nothing more than a naïve girl. Thinking the whole world will love you if you do this one nice thing."

"I would have been a hero among them if I killed you."

"A hero? Yeah right. You still killed me. That would make you no worse than what you call me."

"At least I destroyed something that caused pain and misery."

Lyddie was infuriated at him, she wanted to drop him off and break his bones. But it seemed not worth the time. Besides, that little vocal scuffle killed enough time for them to reach the entrance way of the house. She opened the door with a swift kick. Lyddie sighed in relief to be back at the house. It was how everything as she left it. The desks are lain there perfectly. The pillars are still in one piece. And the rotting corpses of the giant scorpions still taint the floor.

"Home sweet home!" She yelled in cheerful manner.

Dean dejected the mood, "Just get me to a bed."

Lyddie scoffed at his insensitive nature. But she still did what he asked. She heaved the boy further upstairs with all her strength. In all reality, he wasn't physically exhausting her. He was however a mental nuisance every time he utters a single word. Ultimately they found themselves on the third floor of the building.

Lyddie tossed his body onto one of the beds. She soon left him on his own and examined him from the other side of the room.

"Hey. Aren't you going to tuck me in with the kumot and read me a bed-time story?" He jested.

"No. You're going to stay there and sleep." She said in a vile attitude. "I will be here making sure you don't get out of my sight. You monster."

No words.

Several minutes, maybe hours had passed by. The Deinonychus boy fell into a deep sleep and was sleeping soundly. Lyddie sat there on a bed and waited for Bestinslot to return. But she cannot escape the effects of weary sleep. She began to yawn very frequently. She soon to find herself trying desperately to not close her eyes. She blinked.

_Snore. Snore._

She fell asleep by just a simple blink.

* * *

The excessive chirping of the morning birds woke the girl from her slumber. Her eyes fluttered beautifully as she was stretching out her arms. The sun was barely out, making the sky outside still dark blue. She examined the room no change. She walked over to the bed that she lain the Deinonychus on.

"_I can't believe I fell asleep._"She reflected on herself. "_Well let's check if he had fully rested from last night._"

She unraveled the sheets from the bed. His body had been replaced with the pillows!

"_Damn! That bastard got away._" She mentally cursed. "_He couldn't gotten far from here. Right?_"

She rushed out of the room and down the stairs. She burst through the door and found Bestinslot right in front of her. She was speechless to find him already at home. Her face flustered in regret and pinned herself to the wall. Bestinslot stood there motionless in shock of Lyddie's irregular behavior.

"Um, what are you doing here dad?" She asked.

"This is my home too. I also need to see if the Dean is fully rested."

"Dean?"

"Yeah the Deinonychus. I thought of a name for him while I was walking back here. He is not an animal so he needs a name. So I thought of the name Dean."

"Well that is nice. But I need to go through."

Bestinslot stayed in place and crossed his arms. "What happened?"

She had to let him know the truth. Embarrassingly, she replied, "Hehe. I may have let _Dean_ escape."

His eyes twitched in shock. "What?!"

"Yeah. Yeah. I know. I am in deep in trouble for this." She admitted.

"No. Not at all. But Dean is." He scratched in irritation. "He could get hurt or worse out there without someone supervising."

"He is still a monster. Why can't we just let him be and die?"

"Lyddie. Of all things you have gone so far within your first 2 days of your life, you cannot be empathetic on your brother's situation." He snapped at her.

"He is not my brother! I already told you that. I will never be related to that demon." She ran away crying into the dense forest.

"Lyddie! Wait! Crap." He chased after her. "_Damn it. Why Lyddie are you so dense about his position right now. Hopefully you would just calm down and accept it. But it is not going to be that simple then. This is not a simple truth to accept when you wanted to be something to be inspiring rather than hated of. That's why I hate humans so much._"

They dodged through trees and shrubbery. Eventually, because of Lyddie's inexplicable healing factor, she out ran him through stamina. He was panting uncontrollably and just hobbled wearily to catch up. In the end, he lost her through the forest's thick vegetation.

"Damn Lyddie's never-ending unbelievable stamina." He smashed his fist down at the dirt floor.

Once Lyddie figured out that she lost her father through the sprint, she stopped by a nearby willow tree. The branches have nearly reached the floor. Like those door beads, the leaves rustled in such a glass like manner. But a willow tree is a willow tree. She entered through the willow's branches. The willow tree was hollowed out, allowing it be a small natural shelter. It was dark, damp, and cramp. But she had enough space to move her shield around easily with ease. She took a seat down on the dirt curled her body into a ball. She began sobbing silently in her arms to avoid being heard by others. She doesn't want anyone to see her like this at all.

"I'm not related to that monster." She attempted to comfort herself. "He is a beast. He harms people. He scares people. He is a threat."

She stopped tearing a bit and sneezed out her mucus. "And I am a hero. A hero that will have everyone praise me for helping them. Like Iris. I'm not a monster." She whispered.

* * *

After a few hours had passed since then and she still is in the same hollowed out tree. She seemed to have cried herself to sleep. When she opened her eyes, noon has already befallen the day.

"_I have been crying from dusk to noon already._" She pondered.

Emotionally exhausted from her situation, she head outside of the hollow natural shelter. She poked her head out of the hanging branches. Nothing was there to greet her. No Bestinslot. No knights. No monsters. No one. She exhaled calmly and exited outside of the willow's extending branches. She walked outside for some time to ponder what she is going to do next.

A few seconds had passed and Lyddie is at narrow and shallow stream of water flowing to her left. She kneeled down by the streams shores to refresh herself. She dipped her head underwater and took huge gulps of water. She rose her head high into the air to inhale some oxygen in her body. Then, she looked up high in the sky, staring to the small clouds and light blue sky above her.

"_There was no way I can go back to Bestinslot after what I did. Maybe the village would find a place for me to live in._" She pondered.

She heard a sudden splash in the water before her. It was a small, white cotton-like thing that is swimming slowly towards her. It seemed it had two black and shiny marbles in front of it. After a while, Lyddie figured out what was that thing in front of her. It was Fluffers! After crossing the water, it was seeking shelter on Lyddie's arm.

"Fluffers!" She held the bunny closely to her without breaking any bones.

He was shivering a bit due to the water's cold temperature. But it seemed to calm itself when in Lyddie's possession. The bunny looked straight at her with its enlarged and beady eyes.

"Fluffers, what are you doing here?" She asked him as she poked kindly on his twitching nose.

Suddenly a short howl echoed in front of her. She tilted her head forward and noticed what caused the deafening howl. A gray wolf, accompanied by two smaller but fearsome yellow and black wolves. They snarled at the sight of Lyddie. No. They were desiring the thrill on feasting on Fluffers hide. Fluffers shifted in fear and hid behind Lyddie's back. Lyddie stood up for battle against the wolf trio.

"Damn carnivores." She cursed in a whisper.

The yellow wolf launched first at Lyddie with its fangs opened wide. Lyddie used her left vambrace for that wolf to sink its teeth in. Once the wolf gripped onto her forearm, the momentum of the leap managed to bring Lyddie down on the floor. While on the floor, the Onyx wolf leapt onto her back and gnawed ferociously on her right shoulder. Onyx wolf was capable of ripping parts of her flesh with the bite. Lyddie squealed in pain and was struggling irresponsibly to shake off the wolf off of her. The gray wolf dashed forward to prey on Fluffers.

Fluffers was terrified of its predator and started to retreat from the fight. Gray chased after the bunny with extreme speed. Once in range, gray launched off the ground and was about to rip the rabbit to shreds. Luckily for it, Fluffers had an unexpected savior lurking in the shadows. Dean soared into the sky from a nearby tree and crashed onto the gray wolf. It knocked them into the ground hard. Surprisingly, they barely suffered from the collision and they ended up with recovering their awareness swiftly.

They both rolled into a standing position. The gray wolf snarled at Dean with anger and ferocity. Dean glared at the animal with the exact same attitude. Gray launched itself to Dean with its snout gaping wide for a dangerous bite. Dean foresaw its attack a mile away. He slid on his arse on the dirt floor below the attacking wolf. He regain his running form and hurriedly latched his hands on Fluffers. He made a mad dash to Lyddie's location.

Lyddie was still locked in the death grip by the two wolves. Dean came by just in time to rescue her. He kicked the golden wolf from latching on her arm with its sharpened fangs. With her left hand free, she was rose from the ground to allow her to stand. Onyx was gripping onto her back still even after she stood up. She with her free hand, she attempted to grab the wolf behind her. Lyddie gripped onto its tail and flung the bastard away from her body. It hit the dirt floor with a thump. However, Onyx was still capable of battling its prey.

Although Dean had different plans than just fighting the animals. He clutched Lyddie's hand and dragged her away from the battlefield. They ran for quite the distance as the wolf trio chased them. Eventually, they found themselves at the hollowed willow tree. Dean threw the Lyddie behind the willow's branches. He rolled onto the ground with Fluffers safe in his arms. The wolves halted the pursuit before them. Their ears bowed and their heads sulked for the failed hunt. They sprinted away from the dysfunctional siblings.

Lyddie was panting heavily in fear rather than exhaustion. Dean, however, was completely out of breath right now because of fear of death and exhaustion. Her eyes gazed at Dean for a succinct time then at Fluffers. Fluffers was completely unscathed in the turmoil and hopped off of Dean's hands. It then hopped along normally to Lyddie's spot.

"I can't believe they left us alone." Lyddie commented.

"Yeah, they usually wouldn't do that. But they were entering a den of a much more dangerous predator than those three."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Can't you smell it? The piss of something very dangerous and big." He remarked.

She sniffed out the air and found out he was right. The scent of the willow was foul with excrement and urine of something big and hazardous.

"Can't believe I didn't notice that." Lyddie remarked. After realizing that Dean saved Fluffers and her from danger, she wished to get some information to why.

"Why did you save my Fluffers?" She held the rabbit closer.

"Honestly, you'll be sad for a lifetime if I let animal you love die. And I don't want to see you so depressed and crying all the time."

"So you do care for me?" Lyddie asked for clarification. Dean is becoming much more than she expected.

"Of course. I'm your kuya, your brother, I never wanted to see you hurt."

"We just barely met. And I insulted you."

"Well, yeah we barely met. But still, Bestinslot was the only one in the world to have ever cared for me. And Bestinslot cared for you. So I must do the same. Because I deeply believe, that we are a family. I don't know why though. I just have this felling really."

"Oh." Lyddie sulked her head to avoid his gaze.

"Lyddie?" He tried to communicate with her.

Still her eyes was hidden from him but answered his call nonetheless. "What?"

"Let's get out of here. Whatever lives here, it might come back. And it will probably be very pissed if it sees us in its abode." Dean explained.

"Oh … okay."

Dean seized her left hand and attempted to lead her back to Bestinslot. They followed a straight path that Lyddie took to escape from Bestinslot. Despite everything around them looked all too same, their heightened senses were able to allow them to the correct path.

"Dean? Why did you let that man live?" Lyddie questioned him.

"What man?"

"The one with the white robes. The one that you severed his arm off."

"Oh him. Honestly I was starving. I haven't eaten at all when I was born. So I found those two and wanted to eat them. I won't deny that. But then his severed arm was out there. And I was so hungry. I took it and go, leaving them there." He partially lied. "_Honestly, I did wanted to kill him and eat his innards. But some other thing in my mind told me not to and just deal with eating the arm._"

"_Wow you really are merciless. Yet you were at least kind enough to leave alive. Even though what prompted you sparing him was not out of morality._" Lyddie reflected on his answer.

When they were done talking, somewhere afar before their path was a familiar face. It was Bestinslot frantically scouring the area with extreme anxiousness. He was pouring his body into bushes and climbing up trees with his hand in his hair.

Dean yelled out as he waved his hands, "Hoy. Papa. We're here."

Bestinslot rotated his body and noticed his couple of kids. With a large smile across his face, he dashed forward and gripped his kids with his arms. His hug had such a touch of tenderness and kindness that the children can feel it.

He looked at them both with tears in his eyes. Whether or not he realize he is crying does not matter right now. He is just glad to finally be with them.

"Where have you two been?! I have been so worried looking for all of you."

Dean scratched the back of his head. "Sorry. I was going out to get some breakfast for myself. Then I saw Lyddie here alone and fighting a trio of feral wolves."

"What?! Lyddie do you need help?!" He questioned with worry in his voice.

"I'm fine. Um … Dean saved me and Fluffers from the wolves." Lyddie explained. "I owe you two an apology."

"For what?" Bestinslot questioned.

"An apology for Dean for calling him obscene names and treated him as a mere monster. And for you for running away."

"Lyddie." Bestinslot eased her regret. "Look. I love you. You're my kid. And I understand on how you hate Dean. There is no need to be distraught about that."

"And Sis, I have to apologize first. I disrespected you and your wishes for happiness. I … did not have that sort of ambition before in my short life here. Until, our dad came by to help me. I was kind of doing my best to survive without a care. But when I met you two, something urged me not to kill you at all."

"I'm glad that you guys settled your differences."

"How about the Chantelle and Iris's town? Will they settle our differences with Dean and me?" Lyddie questioned with hopeful curiosity.

"Oh. Let that be a different date to where those guys can trust you two. Humans are much more stupid than you may think."

"Can we all just go home now? I'm tired and cold for some odd reason." Dean whined.

Bestinslot faced Dean. "Yeah we wil- oh crap! I forgot you're naked this entire time."

"Naked? What is naked?" He asked with innocence.

"Never mind about that. Just follow me and go home." He averted his eyes from Dean's direction.

Dean stared quizzically at Lyddie. Lyddie responded it with unsure shrug and just went on forward with Bestinslot. Dean followed along.

By the time they returned, the Sun is descending from the sky. Leaving the sky above dyed with a reddish gold tint. This was actually pretty calm situation for the three. They escaped from the misery and death from nature and managed to resolve the problems with each other. Things are looking up to the disfigured family. But such tranquility does not last long.

As they walked to their humble abode, Bestinslot and Dean noticed something strange about the house. The doors were opened again.

"Aw crap. Not again." Bestinslot whined. He sprinted to the entrance way of the structure.

He examined the scene and found any traces of unnatural influence. Like it was unlocked by something more calm than ever. No slime. No claw marks. Nothing. It was most likely opened by something that was competent and clean. He crossed through the entryway and discovered the trapdoor wide open.

"Dean, Lyddie?" He wished their attention. "I want you guys to stay inside and check the floor above."

"Alright." Dean responded.

"You can count on us."

Bestinslot gripped onto the ladder's poles and slid down hastily to the lab. Once he reached to the lab's grounds, he removed his Schiavona from his sheath to prepare for a battle. Nothing greeted him with claws or fierceness. It was rather empty. He peered around the corner to see if something is out of the blue. He scanned carefully only to find that the Culture Vat Room's metal door was left wide opened.

"What the hell?"

He crept silently to the doorway. His blade ready to swing at the intruder. He leapt in front of the doorway and found nothing that was sabotaged in the room. Rather two new objects were located right before him. One of the objects was a large brown spotted egg. The egg's size was remarkably like the size of a regular watermelon. And the other object was a note written in fancy cursive writing.

The note stated:

_Do not leave anyone behind. Protect my child._

_ Signed by, __The Professor_

"The professor? Child? Leave anyone behind? What?" These new questions flooded his mind with confusion and intrigue. He glared at the paper again. Then at the giant egg.

"_Whatever the case may be. This giant egg is mine now eh?_" He thought. "_I better show this to them._"

He clutched his arms around the egg and despite the egg's size, it was quite easy to hold and carry. In fact it was so lightweight that the egg can be held with one arm with barely any challenge. He dragged the giant egg back up to the surface. He placed the egg in the center of the room.

"Guys. You can come back down now." He ordered them.

After the few short seconds, Dean and Lyddie returned to the first floor. They gawked at the humongous egg in the center of the room. Eventually, they removed that galvanized expression from their faces.

"What in hell is that?" Dean interrogated Bestinslot.

"Honestly. I have no idea." He replied.

"What are we going to do with it?" Lyddie inquired.

"No clue. Sorry."

"Maybe we could raise it and have a giant chick for a pet." Dean jested.

As soon as he spouted those words, a certain crack can be heard in the middle of the room.


	11. Clothes (Again)

Chapter 11: Clothes (Again)

"Oh shit!" Dean hollered. "It's hatching!"

He dived behind a nearby desk as if the egg was a bomb about to go off. Lyddie did the same and ducked by the pillars of the room. Bestinslot, however, stood there. He was frozen in his state of mind of his general curiosity of what might come out. He knelt beside the hatchling egg and observed it intently.

At first, the egg had just tiny cracks as it was hatching. A few seconds later, it had small holes within the egg, however nothing came out. Bestinslot leaned forward to see what is inside the partially opened egg. Through the miniscule fissures, all he could see was some sort of rusty slime everywhere inside. It reeked of blood and spoiled milk. It was so dark and damp as if it was miniature swamp in there. And nothing could be heard or seen through the breaks created inside.

"_Must have been a defected egg._" They all thought.

But a glimmer of life began to thrash about, wanting to be free of its born imprisonment.

"Oh gypsy!" Bestinslot exclaimed in surprise. He punctured through the holes to forcibly break the egg. "Come out little one. Push! Push!" He ordered it with a playful manner.

He placed his hands through the fissures and pulled on the egg's remaining shells with his might. It was like ripping apart stone with his bare hands, difficult and barely effective. Nonetheless, the man pursued further, even cutting his hand a bit to free the dinosaur inside. Ultimately the egg had gave away to the combined effort of Bestinslot and the animal within it and so it cracked wide open.

The light above them shone brightly on reveal of the new creature among them. Like Dean and Lyddie, she was humanoid and retain a reptile-like tail. However, the similarities end there. She was a small child, possibly about two years old by just her appearance. Her pale white face gleamed with the blood and oils of the egg. Her bronze-like hair reached all the way to the ends of her chin. The temples of her cranium was covered by these short, cone-like horns. And her tail carried a double sided club-like feature. It also gained a rather rough and bony skin compared to Lyddie's or Dean's tails.

She was reclined on the left over egg shells with her pupils hidden beneath her eyelids. She then gasped for the fresh air around her. She slowly lifted her eyelids to lay her eyes of the new world her. Her eyes were just like her hair, bronze colored and shiny. She scanned the room in front of her, as if she was a robot understanding the area around itself. She struggled to pick herself up from her egg, and constantly her legs were wobbling as she stood up. When she eventually balanced herself, she climbed out of the egg.

Sadly, she fell onto the floor face first as soon as her legs landed on the floor. Her arms picked herself up and they all can see a small scratch on her face. They gleamed with the light before the moment of tears. Bestinslot, acknowledging the child's pain, immediately rushed to the toddler's size and picked her off the ground. Despite the bulky and cumbersome appearance of her tail, she was very lightweight. It was as if the tail was barely even there. He hugged child with a comforting touch to allow her to cry on his shoulder. Amazingly she did not cry her heart out. Instead she just sniffled a bit and tugged on his right arm.

"Aww. Little baby. I'm here." He tapped lightly on the child's backbone.

Lyddie and Dean leaved their hiding spots and cautiously approached the pair. The little girl plastered her face all over his arm to avoid their curious gazes. Lyddie made a squeal of glee as she observed the toddler's actions.

"Aww. You're so cute!"

Dean on the other hand exasperated in annoyance. "Well, it is not dangerous at least."

The toddler still kept hiding her face away from her two siblings. Bestinslot retained patting her bare back to ease the child. As he patted her back, he noticed that her body was somewhat cold and shivering.

He faced the Deinonychus boy. "Dean. Do me a favor and head upstairs and get some blankets. She feels a bit cold really."

"Alright sure." Dean casually saluted him and ran upstairs.

Lyddie tapped at Bestinslot's shoulder, "What do I do?"

Bestinslot pondered thoroughly on what Lyddie can do for him. After a few seconds, he answered, "Okay. Lyddie keep this little girl company and make sure she is warm."

"Got it. But what will you do?"

"I'll back to the lab. There is something I need to check." He blatantly answered.

He handed the small girl to Lyddie's normal hand. At first the little one rejected Lyddie's arm. But she gave up when Lyddie held her quite gently. The young girl then snuggled on Lyddie's left shoulder. Without hesitation or sluggishness, he hurried down the ladder. Once he reached the lab, he scoured through the upper floor. The floor and doors was clean of any visible prints to the naked eye. Still he pursued desperately to discover who may have been here. He came up with nothing in the end. But he hasn't given up searching yet. He opened the Cryogenic Storage Chambers and swept to each compartment of the Fossilized DNA section. Finally, he discovered that DNA #957: Ankylosaurus has gone missing.

"_Shit! So someone had developed the Ankylosaurus growth while I was gone._" He cursed mentally. "_But why is it a baby? Why is it not a teenager like Lyddie and Dean? And who could have known about this place?_" He pondered.

He sighed in the hopelessness of finding the answers to these questions immediately. He instead returned up to the surface to check up on their new arrival. As he was about to reached the wooden surface above, he noticed that the new child was now wrapped in blankets in Lyddie's arm. Dean was standing nearby with his arms crossed with a quizzical expression on his face. Lyddie had this joyous look in her eyes and smile as she held the toddler. And it seemed the toddler is getting along with them as well.

But as soon as Bestinslot stood right in front of them, the toddler amazingly leapt off of Lyddie's arm and to Bestinslot's direction. Lyddie staggered back from the jump of the Ankylosaur child. Bestinslot was stunned by this sudden event and was incapable of processing the thought to catch the child before she falls. Luckily, Dean's quick reflexes was enough to catch the child in mid-air before she fell down hard. He pounced in front of the child and grabbed her in his clutches to her protect from injury.

"Holy hell! That was too close." He yelled in annoyance of her actions. "Hoy bobo, gusto mo ba saktan ang sarilimo?!" He scorned the kid.

The little girl hid her face away from him and bawled out her eyes. Her tears were soaking on Dean's bare chest. Dean was then subjected to the infuriated eyes of Bestinslot and Lyddie. He could feel the presence of hate and disappointment emanating from their bodies He then attempted to make her stop crying to halt their glares. He stared into the sky to figure out something to say to comfort the little child.

"Dean! I don't know what you said, but it looked like you hurt her feelings." Lyddie scorned him.

"Hoy! What she did was stupid. Admit that." He debated against his sister. "She could have gotten herself hurt or worse if she recklessly jumped out like that."

"At least don't scream that at her!" Lyddie exclaimed. "You could have gotten her scared!"

"Ano? Bakit hindi ako ….." Dean desired to argue further, but decided to rescind his words.

Eventually, he exasperated his breath and held his head closer to the Ankylosaurus child. "Hoy." He whispered gently to her ear. "Stop crying. You don't look pretty when you cry. Don't you want to look pretty in front of everyone?"

The little girl slowly sniffled a few mucus and tears after his words. She lifted her head up to look at Dean directly. He stared at her with steely cat-like eyes. She was about to cry some more, but just ended up sneezing a few mucus strands on his Dean's chest. She wiped away her tears and boogers with her bare forearms. However, there were noticeable strands of her bodily fluids on her face still.

Dean, gripped onto a piece of the hanging blanket that she was wrapped in and raise it up to the child's small and a bit chubby face. He quickly licked the blanket's corner and lightly wiped off the smudge from her face.

"Ayon. Maganda ka." He breathed. She sniffed up her remaining mucus and gave off this bright smile to Dean.

"What did you tell her?" Bestinslot curiously asked.

"Oh. I just told her she is pretty after I removed her tears and liquidated boogers." He answered truthfully.

"That's good that you're caring after your little sister like that." Bestinslot complimented him.

"Sister?!" Dean and Lyddie exclaimed in surprised by his words.

"Yes your sister." He blatantly admitted with a wide grin. "I mean, she was born at the lab like you two. So she is your sister. And someone did created her and made me her guardian, even though I had no knowledge about this at all."

"So I get to be a big sister?!"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"And I'm the big brother aren't I."

"Yuppers!"

"Ooh. What can we call her?" Lyddie inquired enthusiastically.

"How about 'Dinner' for me?" Dean joked.

Bestinslot groaned in displeasure "No Dean. We are not going call her 'Dinner'. And she will not be your food."

"Um, how about Abigail. She looks like an Abigail." Lyddie suggested.

"Maybe. The name sort of fits."

Dean exhaled. "How about Annie?"

"Hmm. Annie sounds nice." Bestinslot pondered on the word. The little Ankylosaur squealed in delight after Bestinslot said the name. He faced the little girl, "Oh so you like the name then? Alright you're Annie from now on."

Then the little girl yawned loudly in Dean's arms. Meaning, it is about bedtime for her. And probably for them as well.

"Alright. Guys. I think it is bedtime for everyone." Bestinslot proclaimed.

"Whatever." Dean exasperated and started to head upstairs with his little sister.

"Sure!" Lyddie agreed. "But what are we going to do for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, I'm going back to the village and ask if I could get some clothes for Dean and Annie." Bestinslot admitted.

"Can I come with you? I want to see Chantelle, Eideard, Amare, and even Iris again." Lyddie begged with her free hand on her shield.

"Sure. I guess."

"Yay!" She lifted her arms in joy. "Thank you. Dad." She lean over to his face and kissed him by the cheek. She then left the first floor and when straight to bed.

"Well … I hope things will be tame when tomorrow comes." Bestinslot breathed.

* * *

The dinosaur family's night was peaceful. No problems. No rough housing. No complaints. The night was utter calm and mellow for them all. Morning greeted them by blasting the blinding rays of the sun to their faces. Bestinslot was the first to wake up first. He arose from his slumber and stretched out his arms. He sauntered his way to Lyddie. At her bed, he noticed Lyddie and Annie were snuggled with each other in each other's arms.

"_Honestly, I don't want to ruin their sleep. They look peaceful._" He reflected. "_But responsibilities must be done first._"

He gripped onto Lyddie's shoulder and lightly shook it around. Hopefully, it wouldn't wake up Annie as well. Wrong. It was Annie to awake from her slumber. Her hair was an unruly mess. She made this high-pitch yawn as she was getting up from bed. She sat up straight from the mattress and went bug-eyed at the sight of Bestinslot. Her tail slightly wagged left and right like a dog would at the sight of a loved one. She stuck out her arms high into the air as she stared at him joyfully.

"Do you want me to pick you up?" Bestinslot playfully pointed at himself.

Annie nodded eagerly to answer his question.

"Alright, sure." Bestinslot agreed. He gripped under the child's armpits and lifted her into the air and into his arms. "Aww. You're so adorable Annie."

As soon as he uttered those words, Lyddie gradually lifted herself from her bed. Her follicles were messy with several split-ends like Annie.

"Good morning dad."

"Morning." He greeted. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. I am actually god to go."

"Alright." Bestinslot lifted himself and took Annie to Dean's side.

With a free hand, he shook Dean awake. Dean rose up from bed so wearily still. He was probably half asleep.

"What do you want?" He questioned so drunkenly.

"Dean, can you please take care of Annie while we are gone."

He scratched his head in bother. "Yeah. Sure."

"And don't eat your sister's facial regions okay." He sternly ordered.

"Alright. I won't." Dean gasped. "I'll eat the white rodent outside."

"If you dare lay one tooth in Fluffers, I'll cave your head in." Lyddie hissed with malevolent eyes.

"I'm just kidding."

"Enough you two." Bestinslot handed him little Annie. "Dean, I will be seeing you by noon if I am quick enough."

"Okay, bye."

"See ya." Lyddie waved them off.

* * *

It was still the morning by the time Bestinslot and Lyddie reached the village. It was as quiet as Bestinslot first visit here. The citizens were quite calm today. The people was just talking about the farm produce or the hunter's animal bounties. But as Lyddie saunter through them all, they were silent as the dead of the night. Some were frozen in fear. Or some were straying away from the sight of her. And some were ready to pull out the closest weapon near them. Lyddie's usually jovial mood was wrought with shame and guilt because of her appearance to the citizen's.

"_Please. Stop looking at me like that._" Lyddie complained mentally.

He understood her thoughts completely by the look of guilt stricken face. He swiftly grabbed hold of her hand and rushed her out of there. The faces of judgement and malice stared them down. Bestinslot did not mind at all. They were all fools to think she will ever be a threat. But he doesn't want to make a scene with the citizens at all. All he could was just to take her away from their eyes as much as possible. Eventually, they were at Chantelle and Eideard's stony abode.

"_Well good enough. This is a safe place from those people._" Bestinslot thought.

They ambled up to the doorstep of the house. He casually knocked a couple of times at the door. No answer. He knocked again with a bit more force. Nothing.

"Is anyone home?!" He cupped his hands over his mouth and bellowed.

"No!" Answered him with a frisky French accent.

The father and daughter spun themselves around to find Chantelle in dark green shirt and pants. Around her waist was a leather belt carrying an onyx colored rapier to by her left hip and a jagged hunting knife by her right hip. Her dark leather boots were all smudged up with dirt and grime. Her face just had this little dirt spot on her left cheek. Her hair was all tied up in a knot to make this large pony tail. By her hands, she clutching onto the neck of a de-feathered wild turkey.

"How's is it going for you two?" She grinned widely.

"Chantelle!" Lyddie proclaimed vigorously. Maybe the sight of such a friendly face lifted her spirits up.

She launched herself to Chantelle to embrace her with lively hug. She completely ignored the poultry corpse in her hands and held her tightly. They both laughed and giggled as they held onto each other. Bestinslot approached the hearty girls with a slight smirk on his

"Hey Chantelle. Good morning." Bestinslot waved his hand. "How was your morning?"

"Good. I slept like a baby." Chantelle said. "And I killed this turkey for lunch today. Would you two like to join me?"

"Sadly I can't." Bestinslot answered. "I'll be too busy trying to find a tailor."

"What for?"

"I got these … new kids that started to pop out of nowhere and they started living at my place." Bestinslot partially spilled the truth.

"Oh, I know a tailor that can sew the clothes."

"Really?! Can I see him or her?" Bestinslot inquired.

"Nope. He is out with his husband and is not seeing any new clients today." She reported. "But if I give a few more coins, maybe I could get his attention. But I have to do it."

"Why is that?" Lyddie questioned casually.

"You see Lyddie, I am one of his close friends." She answered cheerfully. "But Bestinslot, maybe I could go and get the measurements for you beforehand."

"You can do that?!" Bestinslot shrieked in surprise.

"Well of course. What are friends are for?"

"Thank you. You're a wonderful person Chantelle."

"Thank you." Chantelle blushed by the compliment. "Let me put on some better clothes and get some measuring tape." She rushed into the house with lightning speed.

After a few minutes had passed, she bolted out of the house. She donned this long and flowing sky blue skirt. Her torso was covered by this alluring white v-shaped vest. Her brown hair was smooth and kept in place with a black head-band. She still has the dead turkey in her hands though.

"Well, come on. They aren't growing clothes themselves." She demanded with a mischievous smirk.

* * *

As the group was sauntering back to the Bestinslot's home, they decided to make some small talk.

"So what are these kids like?" Chantelle questioned him.

"What do you mean?"

Chantelle sighed, "I mean what they look like, appearance wise?"

He flustered a bit, "Oh … there is this one young and short man. And there is this two-year old girl."

"Really now." Chantelle gasped on the words. "Ooh. I can't wait to see them. I bet they will be such cuties."

"Yeah. Cuties." Bestinslot sighed. "_What happens if she sees them both? Will she be scared of them? Or will she even accuse Dean of being the monster that attacked Raj?_"

"Well I don't know about Dean, but Annie is such a cutie." Lyddie intervened.

"Dean and Annie? I'm guessing that's their names right."

"Yuppers."

When he responded with those words, they are at the doors of the Bestinslot's structure.

"Well here we are." Bestinslot pointed out.

Lyddie gripped onto the door's knob and twisted it open. When the entrance was wide open, Chantelle can finally see the big brother and little sister in the flesh. Like that time she first met Lyddie, she was frozen in place. Frozen in either horror or fear at the sight of dinosaur children.

Dean was sitting on a chair with a book at hand. Annie was staring at her brother attentively as he read the literature. At the corner Dean's eye, he noticed that the duo had returned as a trio.

"Hello." He greeted Chantelle.

Annie turned her body towards trio. She made this high pitched yelp at the group and attempted to get down the desk. Dean assisted her onto the ground and let her go once her feet touched the floor. Annie practically waddled to her English father's legs. By there, she bear hugged his leg with all her might.

Chantelle stood there motionless in shock of this sight. "Bestinslot?" She tried to grab his attention.

"What?"

"May I have a word of you?"

"Oh okay sure." Bestinslot agreed. "_Oh no. Did she already figure out Dean is the monster that assaulted and nearly killed Raj._"

Chantelle kneeled down in front of Annie. "Hi little one. I'm going to have talky-talk with your daddy."

Annie stuck out her hand to feel Chantelle's face. When she got close enough, Annie rubbed her tiny palm across her cheek and eyes. Chantelle and Annie then gave each other playful smiles. Lyddie soon picked up Annie and separate her from the human duo. Annie stuck out her hand to the duo as she was being whisked away from them.

"Dean, is it?" Chantelle pointed at the Deinonychus boy.

"What of it?"

She revealed the dead turkey on her hands. "Would you like to have this for lunch?"

Dean stood there bug-eyed at her offer. Eventually he silently nodded and relinquish the avian corpse away from her.

The humans exited outside and walked a few meters away from the building to have the kids avoid listening into their conversation. Chantelle reclined on a nearby flat rock surrounded by the oak trees and large shrubs. Bestinslot leaned on a nearly decayed oak beside her. There was only a brief silence between these two.

"So, I want to ask about the Dean boy?" Chantelle uttered first.

Bestinslot gulped. "_Oh crap. This is bad. She does think that Dean is the attempted murderer!_"

"You see …" Chantelle exasperated. "I have to know …"

"What?" His voice cracked a little.

"Are you by any chance sexually harming that boy?"

His right eye twitched at the news. It was not what he expect. Actually it was more than what he even conceived of.

"_Oh. So it wasn't about Dean being an attempted murderer. I don't which was worst. Having Dean be accused of his actual crimes by her. Or me being accused of pedophilia by her._" He reflected on her words. "No. Of course not!" He shrieked in defense of his dignity.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am sure!"

"Well then. I see." She exhaled in relief. "Why is he naked in your residence?"

"He was just found like that. So was Lyddie and Annie." He retorted.

"I guess I should measure their sizes then."

"It is that it?" He asked in confusion.

Bluntly, she responded with a, "Yes."

"Wow. Okay." Bestinslot stood there galvanized on how simple her questioning was.

The two entered the facility once more with a bit more calm expressions on their faces. Chantelle approached the two nude children and proceeded with the measuring. Bestinslot and Lyddie waited on the sidelines as Chantelle did her thing. A couple of moments later, she finished her objective with measuring all the sizes needed for Dean and Annie's clothing.

She walked outside of their sanctuary with the dinosaur family tailing her. She turned around to face them directly. She made a fluid curtsy and waved them goodbye.

"I'll see you all later once my friend finished sewing your clothes." Chantelle reported.

"You're always welcome here." Lyddie replied.

"Yeah. Come by some time later." Bestinslot agreed with Lyddie's sentiments.

She answered back, "Will do." Chantelle then adorably waved specifically to Annie. "Bye-bye Annie. I will come back okay."

Annie yelped in glee and energetically waved bye to Chantelle. Dean remained by Bestinslot's side with just an un-feeling wave of goodbye.

"See you all later."

"Wait!" Bestinslot by Chantelle's side.

"What is it?"

Bestinslot leaned in closer to her face and whispered, "Don't tell anyone about Dean, not even Eideard."

She gasped for a second there. But after peering into his desperate eyes, she gave in. "Alright. I won't. But I don't see the big deal about it."

"It is important. Please." He pleaded.

"Okay fine. My lips are sealed."

"See you."

"See you later, you weird man."

* * *

**Three days later …**

In the span of the days that had passed by, things seemed to have changed for the better. The windows of the Sanctuary had been repaired without anyone noticing Dean. Frankly none of the carpenters figured out that the animal that hunted and severely wounded Raj lived there. Bestinslot had to keep the Deinonychus boy hidden beneath the floor in the labs. And when the glass carpenters were done with their work, Dean was able to be breathe the fresh air once more.

And within those days, Chantelle returned the prehistoric family with Dean's and Annie clothes. But Chantelle brought up the clothing that were not in Bestinslot's mind in terms of design. He just wanted a simple pants and shirts for his nude duo. However, Chantelle revealed something a bit more stylish than what he expected.

For Dean, he received dark gray pants to cover up his lower body. For his torso, he had gotten a navy blue sleeveless shirt. And in overall his body, he was wrapped in something that is a combination of an assassin and an occult acolyte. He had been given a leather trench coat with a hood. In the trench coat, it had been laced with buttons running down from the neck all the way to the end. The trench coat's length can even touch the floor's surface. On one shoulder of the trench coat, it had been cosmetically designed with small double straps. The trench coat's sleeves were amazingly wide and long enough that it was able to conceal his talon-covered hands completely. The entirety of his coat is practically smothered with the village's symbol engraved to the forearms. Although, no matter what they try to do hide his appearance with hoods, long coats, and long sleeves, his grey tail will always peek out of the coat.

Annie on the other hand was given something more of Chantelle's taste in fashion. Annie donned a small vest and a long skirt fitting for her size. The fabrics were dyed in the colors of the jade. Her hair was knotted to a side pony-tail with ruby colored beads. Her new attire gave off this walking jewel aspect to her. And just like her very distant siblings, her tail would always dominate the appearance anyway no matter what.

"So, do you like them?" Chantelle giggled at the question. Possibly she anticipated their pleasant answers to the question.

"Holy hell. I feel, somewhat good wearing these things." Dean complimented.

Annie only responded with a snicker of joy.

"I'm glad you two like them." Chantelle said joyously.

"I can't believe you had their clothes ready in such a quick notice." Chantelle praised her swift gifts.

"Yeah. It is amazing too. My friend really is a diligent worker." She laughed heartedly. "Actually though, he had these products prepared for other people, but they decided to cancel their orders because they did not like them."

"Well tell him that he has my thanks either way." Bestinslot replied

"No, no. It is not much a problem for him. He had much more complicated orders of clothing than yours."

"But thank you Chantelle. I don't know how to ever repay you."

"Make sure that these kids are happy. Their smiles are good enough payment."

Bestinslot scoffed at her doubt. "You think I am not a good enough father." He smirked that was brimmed with confidence, or at least fake confidence.

"I don't know about that. I am not a parent so I wouldn't know such a thing." She answered. "I better be going back. I'm starving and I think I saw a boar passing by."

"Thank you for everything!" Lyddie exclaimed.

Chantelle exited out the dinosaurs' abode.

* * *

**Present day, afternoon …**

I sauntered my way back to my shelter carrying the new kill. The gray dog drooped over my shoulders with blood dripping sluggishly from its open maw.

"_Poor canine, thinking you escaped from me. Especially after trying to bite me first._" I taunted the mammal.

His flesh was squishy and tender. The blood it's covered in is so tantalizing painful. I want to eat it now. But I can't, I'll be safer to eat it at my shelter. Then I can eat it.

But something more than blood plagues my nostrils. "_What is this scent? No. There is more than one._"

I don't recall anything like it. It smells … nearby. And it smells like it is coming from my territory. I bellowed in fury. I gripped onto my prey's corpse so hard that its bones emitted sounds of being fractured and broken. I hastened forward to my territory. As I ran forward, the pungent scent is getting stronger and stronger. No one will take my place. No one.

By nighttime, I had reached my shelter. The hollowed tree. The scents of the unknown reeks everywhere here.

"_Trespassers!_" I reflected on their actions.

I dropped my kill on the muddy floor. I brushed away my shelter's branches to enter my abode. The scents, it practically plagues this area. I stared down on the muddy floor. Prints. Paws or feet of something I never had seen before, yet it seems I have seen it as well. I sniffed on the prints.

"Your scent is now forever engraved in my mind." I hissed. "Trying to take over my territory. How dare you! My territory! My land! My shelter!" The earth shaked before my roars of anger.

I will kill you. Whoever you are.


	12. Trespasser

Chapter 12: Trespasser

A bright and cloudless sky loomed over the Englishman. Far from the house and far the village; He was deep into the forest and with not a single sign of humanity in sight. The coniferous forest was filled with the whistles of the birds and the wind above them all. Down below, the oak and redwood trees surrounded him and his enemy.

Drenched in sweat and a bit of fatigue, he raised his blade against the hooded hoodlum in front of him. The attacker held no weapon of any sort, just his fists. Bestinslot slashed down at his opponent with the Schiavona. His enemy strafed to Bestinslot's left side and dashed in to be up close and personal with him. The adversary jabbed at him with his left fist and the Englishman staggered back due to the impact. With the left hand, the enemy gripped onto his collar and pulled the bastard in closer. The little enemy used his right palm to force the European to plant his face on the ground. And the boy then shifted his hand as if he was screwing the man's head into the ground.

Bestinslot spoke as his mouth was muffled by the ground. "Alright I give. Dean, you can stop making me eat dirt."

The Deinonychus boy let go of his father's cranium. Bestinslot rose up from the dirt floor and spat out any dirt that had entered his mouth.

"Are we done yet? This is my third time I made you kiss the dirt." Dean whined.

"No. One more time."

Lyddie walked in between the males and handed Bestinslot a soaked white towel. Annie did the same with Dean and handed her brother a white towel.

"Why not? I mean, you spent half the morning fighting me and the other half fighting Dean. You must be exhausted." Lyddie scolded him.

"It's fine Lyddie. I figured it may be important for me to learn on how to fight on my own without Eideard's guidance. Besides, I don't want you guys getting fat with nothing to do."

Dean interjected in their conversation. "I feel offended. Do you think I will ever gain any weight after hunting and killing that deer for ya this early morning for breakfast? With my bare hands nonetheless."

"I don't mean like that. It is good if you guys would train some time to be in tip top shape."

"Don't worry dad. We won't be overweight." Lyddie assured him.

"Hey, how about Annie? She is just like us. Why don't she get to train like the rest of us?" Dean argued.

"Well, that is because Annie is still a growing child. I don't want to be harsh on her developmental state. Strength and fighting training will have many repercussions on her mental state. For now, let her have her childhood to be a happy and sweet."

"So what? We don't get a childhood?"

"Dean, it is true you guys don't have a chance for a childhood. But you do have the knowledge of what is right or wrong. And that is something more valuable than a childhood. Because your conscience were already developed when you two are teenagers. I just set it to the right direction."

"But can't Annie do the same thing?" Lyddie interrupted him.

"Hehe. Annie, in her infantile state has not … grasp the concept of what is right or wrong yet. For now, she will have to develop a conscience naturally."

"Oh!" Lyddie's mouth made an ooh like face. "But do you think people who already have a developed conscience can do wrong still?" She inquired curiously.

Bestinslot looked away for a moment. "Yeah, they can. But that is when they are lost to themselves. It is usually a time like that will happen when -"

As Bestinslot turned his direction towards Dean, Dean's eyes went bug eyed and his pupils contracted to cat-like slits. He sniffed the air sporadically and frequently, like something was horrendously awful in the air. As he shifted to his daughters, they were doing the exact same thing. Sniffing obnoxiously and loudly.

"What is going on here?!" He demanded.

Dean shook himself out of his trance. He ordered them all, "Everyone get inside the house!"

"What?! Why?!" He frantically questioned them.

However, in a blink of an eye, Lyddie gripped onto his forearm and dragged him to the direction of their residence. Dean and Annie followed along as panic plagued the entirety of their eyes. Eventually, Bestinslot was set free so he can run on his own.

As he sprinted alongside his kids, he inquired, "What are we running from?"

"Something big and dangerous." Dean answered as his voice crack in fear.

"You've seen it?!"

"Nope!" Lyddie replied. "I just know that we do not want to cross it."

"What do you me-" He was about respond.

But then he could feel the ground slight quake beneath him.

"_Is it an earthquake?_" He thought.

What supposed to be quiet training in the forest, it turned into a run from an unknown terror. A terror that bellowed a roar like no other animal he had ever heard. The roar echoed through the trees that made the birds soar into the sky to flee from the terror. As if it was a mix of a slowed down version of an elephant trumpeting and a lion's roar. Completely horrifying and unheard of. He tilted his head to where the sound may have originated. Nothing come into his field of vision except trees and shrubs.

* * *

Ultimately, the family managed to enter a grassy clearing with their tails and arse intact. A few old and fallen trees and flowers scattered throughout the grassy knolls but that is it. By some sort of convoluted mind set, his son and daughters hid behind a dead and hollow white log. He did the same and hid behind the log. He peered out of cover to spot whatever or whoever is causing them to frantically panic.

A few seconds had passed and something that is tall, monstrous, and extremely hostile had exited out of the brush. It was a Dark Light Assassin. It was crouching on the open plains with the purple mist emanating from its horribly unnatural body. Its violet eyes squinted to their vague direction.

"_Is this is what you were worried about?_" He reflected on their fear. "_Understandable._"

But to his surprise, his children were shifting their pupils at other directions other than the Dark Light Assassin. Their hearts were beating so rapidly that if one is sensitive enough, they can even hear it.

"_I've never seen them so terrified in their life. What could possibly scare these kids so much?_" He wondered.

Bestinslot looked ahead to observe the Dark Light Assassin. Suddenly, he fully understood what could have set these kids to panic so anxiously. Out of the darkness of the forest before them leapt out a humanoid as tall as the Dark Light Assassin. With its metal right hand, the creature grasped on the Assassin's entire skull within a second of spotting it. This new visitor then smashed the back of the Assassin's cranium to the grassy floor. The Assassin struggled agitatedly as it was unable to escape the grip of this new monster. The newcomer gazed at it with a devilish smile and quickly crushed the entire head with its fingers. The monster stopped struggling and pulsating and its limbs then all droop to the blades of grass. The gas stopped emanating from Assassin's body. It is dead.

"_Oh shit!_" Dean contemplated in horror of the brutal sight.

The humanoid in front of them doesn't suspect their presence and is just scanning the area around it. But now it is in a clearing away from the dense forest from before, they could all bask in the presence of the hostile before them. Its eyes and nose were hidden from sight due to the shiny silver helmet it donned. Judging from the design of the helm, it was probably a German Sallet Helmet with a visor. Luckily, the light skin of this creature's mouth was revealed to be quite ferocious with anger and malice. The scarlet hair of the humanoid was grimy with filth of dirt and dry leaves.

The armor that this animal held was quite bulky and looks cumbersome. And the armor was dyed in obsidian black. It was sort of took this design of something Bestinslot had sort of seen before. Must have been something out of a video game's design. But that is just a Shadow of the Past and fiction. This is reality before him, and it is more fearsome of all the highly pixelated orcs and ghouls he has faced.

But there is more than what meets the eye. At a glance of its helmet and armor, it could have been perceived as something as villainous knight of a fiction. But there are these specific traits that removes him of this category. Two factors definitely disqualifies this man of legend or native to this land really. Reason one being the arms of the man. The arms are not organic at all. They are prosthetics, modern ones at that. They appeared to be functionally capable of moving by thought alone as shown by the crushing of the Assassin's head in such a quick succession. And they seemed as if they were built for lifting up large objects due to the humongous forearms. The entirety of the arms were donned with white chrome plating, without even a single wire to be seen. But the real disqualifier of this man's artificial localization here is the elongated, sepia colored, reptile-like tail that swung back and forth above his arse.

"No way. You're like them." He breathed.

Bad move. The devil knight had caught the sound of his whisper despite their distance away from each other. It then started to charge into the family with its fist first into the fray.

"Aw damn it." Lyddie cursed. She hopped over her fallen wooden cover and charged in as well to collide with the enemy. Bone and metal collided in a big roar as they both crashed their fist and shield together. Lyddie's triceratops shield fractured because of the impact. And the force of the conflict brought the earth to quake a little around them. However due to the impact, both warriors retracted back to regain their stance.

Lyddie barked orders to her family without removing her eyes from the enemy, "Get back to the house! I'll hold this brute off of you!"

The devil knight launched itself at the Triceratops girl. Each of the steel hands of the knight gripped onto both of Lyddie's dominant horns. The knight was attempting to savagely to dismember the shield's most offensive weaponry.

"Lyddie! No!" Bestinslot exclaimed to her.

She assured him as she was attempting to pull the shield away from the knight's grasp. "I'll be fine. Just get out of here!"

Bestinslot was about to unsheathe the Schiavona by his hip to defend Lyddie. But Dean pushed the Englishman further from the battlefield.

"Dean, what the hell?!" He scolded him.

The son responded, "No point. I don't think you'll be able to do nothing here. You're just a human." Dean leapt off of the fallen log.

"Dea-"

"Just get Annie out of here. I'll help Lyddie hold this bastard off so you can go back to the village and get some help! We'll meet you at the house!" Dean ordered him sternly.

Despite how he felt about abandoning his children, Dean's right. Bestinslot is not capable of dealing a titan such as that. He sheathed his blade back to its scabbard and picked up Annie as soon as possible. He began running to the house, but before he left his children, he took one good glimpse of them.

"God. I hope you guys will be alright." He uttered under his breath. Annie reached out her fingers to her older siblings far away. Wishing that they will be by her side. "It is okay Annie. They'll be fine."

The Englishman took his youngest daughter away from the fight.

* * *

"Hoy!" Dean yelled to their attacker. "Let go of my sister!" He leapt up into the sky and tackled the knight. He was then latched on the torso of the warrior, directly face to face to the personification of doom.

However, his efforts to push the warrior down was in vain. The dark warrior had no reaction to his assault and stood there unfazed. But it did provide enough distraction for Lyddie to release the knight's grip on her shield by forcibly pulling it away from him. Dean then held onto the shoulders of the enemy and pulled himself to the sky above. Lyddie then bashed her shield on the opponent's body. The attack shoved the assailant away from her location. In the air, Dean then swooped down to be behind the enemy. He landed on his feet safely onto the blades of green on the ground and then leapt up again to the enemy's back.

He nailed a swift elbow hit on the enemy's neck and it sent the titan to wail in slight pain. The metal knight rapidly gripped onto Dean's forearm with one hand and tossed him to the ground. Because of the impact of his body to the dirt, Dean went unconscious from that singular smash. The titan was then about to grab onto Dean's unconscious body however Lyddie's intervention saved her older brother for a short while.

She dashed forward and whacked her shield horizontally at the knight. The knight, with its capable reflexes, managed to bend its body backwards to dodge her attack. But Lyddie was not going to end it there. She made one swift uppercut that connected her armored fist with the knight's open chin. The assailant retracted farther away from her avoid more blows to the skull. The warrior touched its jaw in case it was broken by the punch. It didn't managed to break the creature's jaws sadly, but it was enough to dislocate it. Although it was all in vain as the assailant realigned the lower jaw back to its rightful place.

"This guy … is tough." Lyddie complimented.

The enemy before her made a low growl in anger. Lyddie stood firmly on the ground with her shield ready to take whatever punishment it was about to give. The savage then dove forward to Lyddie's position with its arms prepared to deal a huge pommeling. A flurry of powerful and rapid jabs and hooks were wailed onto Lyddie's shield. Each single strike was enough to push her back bit by bit. The triceratops shield was being fractured piece by piece, it was amazing that it lasted for quite some time during the punches. Alas, in the end, it broke under the pressure of the tenth jab on her shield. The skull shattered like a vase in front of Lyddie. Then, in return of the Lyddie's resistance, the brute used a formidable uppercut on Lyddie's chin.

The fist of steel sent her flying into the air then crashing back down on the earth below. Her jaw was not broken nor dislocated, but it did hurt nonetheless. She stared in fear of the potency of the devil knight's aggression as it smirked in her pain.

"_I can't possibly beat this guy._" She thought. "_I have to take Dean out of here. And retreat for now._" She contemplated.

The devil knight launched itself to the sky and sent its metal fist straight to Lyddie's position. Lyddie rolled out of the way, thus causing the metal knuckles to obliterate the grassy floor. Dirt clouds popped out of the crash, giving Lyddie a distraction to bug out. Lyddie hastily stood up and rushed to Dean's side. In such a quick succession, she grabbed his body and dragged him away from the battlefield without stopping. She then head back to her house, through the dense forest. The devil knight exited out of the dust cloud and noticed Lyddie running to the other coniferous forest. It then followed in hot pursuit of Lyddie's trail.

* * *

Bestinslot ultimately reached to his new abode with Annie safely tucked in his arms. He rushed to the book case and stabbed at the button with his blade. The hatch opened and thus Bestinslot slid down the ladder with Annie in his arm still. At the lab, he gently placed Annie at the room's center.

The father knelt before his toddler and gripped both of his hands on her tiny shoulders. "Annie. Stay here okay? You'll be safe okay."

A sudden quake above them scared Annie and mentally stunned Bestinslot. Annie then outburst into a cry. Bestinslot rubbed her hair to comfort her. But he cannot stay longer here. He has to leave Annie for the moment. He let go of her and rushed to the surface.

* * *

**2 Minutes ago …**

_Don't you dare run from me you coward! Stay and fight. _

I rushed up to the trespasser and tackled her to the floor. She landed face first to the ground, dropping her little companion before her. I turned her body so I could see that little trespasser's face. I then punched down to the floor next to her head. Her face is so pale and shocked at the sight of me.

_Yes. That's right. You'll never mess with me ever again._

I opened my maw wide to deliver a fatal present to my trespasser. I, however, stopped midway as I heard a disturbance ahead of me.

"LYDDIE!" A voice called out before me.

_What? More nuisances?_

I raised my head to face whoever attempted to deny my lunch.

_Oh! It's just a puny primate with a shiny metal stick. How can he hurt me?_

But something was off nonetheless. My heart started to race uncontrollably without a warning.

_What? Am I scared?_

Suddenly the area around me began to flash red and black around me.

_What is going on here?_

Bodies of horribly disfigured monsters were scattered all over the grass. All their bodies were rotten and to the core. Then, one by one, they began to rise off the ground and started to hobble towards me.

_Huh?_

My body quaked as if I was in winter already. My hands shivered even though they bear no feeling. I checked my hands and I my eyes went bug-eyed.

_Black_ _blood. Why is there blood on both of my hands? _

My ears ranged with a pain that felt so familiar yet not. I could hear screams.

_A woman. A man. Screaming. Blood is everywhere. Those monsters standing on the grass. Then dead. God! It hurts so much._

I roared as these sounds were resounding around my head. As I was being berated by the horrible sounds of blood-curdling yells, those bastard monsters had circled around me.

"Get out! Get out! Get out of my way!" I proclaimed.

I smashed my both hands on the ground in frustration because everywhere I look these monstrosities keep spawning in front of my face. Their disgusting rotten faces with their terrible eyes staring cruelly at me. Suddenly, laughter. Such taunting laughter were blasted into my ears. It echoed all over to every corner of my brain. It just won't stop.

_Stop! Just stop!_

My vision started to fade away to blackness. The last thing I got to see was the sky above. It was formerly blue, but now it is just blood red. And then, that was it. I closed my eyes.


	13. The Queen's Past

Chapter 13: The Queen's Past

**2 hours later …**

_Ugh. My head. What the hell?_

I woke up to a sincere throbbing inside my cranium. I placed my shiny fingers onto my temples to ease the migraine. Once I deemed that the pain was bearable, I opened my eyes to something new. The last time I saw something was the sky above being all red and dark. Now I am in this highly lit room with windows on the stony walls. Fluffy mattresses were lined perfectly and evenly on every center of the room. And I am on top of one of those stylish mattresses. I checked my body to see if I was damaged. Everything was fine except that my armor has gone missing! My defense against everything. Where has it gone?!

Then my mind just got a quick jolt of pain. I growled in displeasure as this pain surged every corner of mind. A high piercing laughter echoed in my ear. I cover my ears with my hands hoping it would shut off the noise. It did not.

_God this noise is so irritating._

I opened my eyes once more. The room had completely changed in such a quick second. It was all so homely and peaceful. But my eyes were subjected to a harrowing darkness of a red and black world. Blood plagued the halls. Screams of a woman and a man again can be heard again.

_What is this?! What is going on?!_

Then I heard the sounds of footsteps approaching on a wooden staircase. But in no way I could be bothered by that. I got more depressing situations to deal with. In a blink of an eye, a single silhouette stood by me. Its bloody eyes stared at me with a vile coldness.

I swung my arm at the demon. Its reflexes were exceptional and its speed to regain its stance were amazing. It seemed as it stood there and phased through my hand. But I had a good eye. But the screams were resounding louder in my ears. I gasped in frustration of this all.

But to my surprise, the silhouette held onto my metal palm in its tiny dark hands. Suddenly, the vile screams had stopped. The room quickly resided back to its former self with everything back to its original color instead of having the colors of hell. The silhouette transformed into a slightly bearded man with some armor.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Where am I?" I hastily demanded.

"Just calm down okay? I am not here to hurt you."

"I don't care. Just tell me where I am. Why am I here? And where is my armor?"

"Okay. Fine, you're scared. I get it." He stuck out his palms in fear.

_How dare such an idiot say I'm scared? _"I am not scared. I just want answers. Now!"

"Look, with that attitude, you're not getting anything." He threatened.

"You dare threaten me? You must really have a death wish if you try to threaten me with pitiful secrets." I attempted to get off the bed and attack the fool.

But I was halted by a bone shield before I was able to rise up. I looked right and discovered that this shield belonged to one of my trespassers. The girl.

"Lyddie?!" The fool exclaimed in shock. "I thought I told you to stay downstairs when I talk to her."

"Trespasser!" I shouted.

"What?! If anything, you're the trespasser here. You barged in, nearly killed my family and you call me the bad guy." She retaliated.

"You dare walk in my shelter and expect it to be yours. It is mine and mine alone."

"Shelter?" My enemies asked in synch.

"The tree! My tree. It is my place to live. Not yours." I lashed out at them. I could feel the heat of fury burning my cheeks.

"Wait, you've been living in a tree your whole life?" The man asked.

I snapped at him. "So what?"

"You shouldn't being living like that. Why don't you live here where it is safer and less lonely?" He offered

My trespasser responded, "Dad! This woman is dangerous. She tried to kill me and Dean. You saw that."

"I know. But right now, she's like Dean. Her bearings are out of place. She needs a home to help her set her conscious right."

_Home. _

That word caused my heart to skip a beat for a second there. A home. Somewhere to be safe and comfortable.

I scoffed at his words. "My shelter is all I need."

I attempted once more to exit out of the bed I barely fit in. But once I stood up, I smelled the air.

_Wait. This scent. It is familiar._

I sniffed the air some more. It is so nice. So beautifully relaxing.

I questioned, "What did you put in this room?"

"Huh?" The fool answered.

"What did you put in the air? It smells so … assuring."

"We didn't put anything. It smelled like this all the time." The man replied.

I glared at him for his annoyance. "You're lying to me."

"But I am not lying, it has always been like this." His eyes had the glare of realization for some odd reason. "Maybe you have been here before."

"Please. Don't mock me. I don't remember anything like this place." I objected.

"Are you sure?" My trespasser inquired.

"Of course I am sure. My memories would not lie to me."

"What is your name then?" The man queried.

I stood there speechless. I don't know if I had a name.

"See?"

"But, I know I have never been to this place. It just smells familiar that's all." I defended myself from humiliation.

"Still, you may be right." He replied nonchalantly.

"What makes you think that dad?"

"Just a hunch really." He answered her. He then faced me. "Still. Why don't you rest up here for now? And then we can go find this familiar scent in the morning."

"We?" I repeated in disbelief.

"Yes 'we'. You may find some use with us coming along with you in your journey." He claimed.

"Well, you're quite a gentlemen. But I live alone." I objected.

The girl pressed her face near mines and I could hear her breathing. She spouted at me, "Just stay here and rest up. It is the least you can do after trying to kill us. Let us show you we are not a threat."

_Tsk. _"You may not be a threat but you are sure as hell annoying." I commented.

The girl made a disgusted face at me. Then the girl left the room without saying a word.

The foolish man sighed, "Alright. Just sleep for now. Then we can all go find your house tomorrow.

"Whatever." I hopped back on the red mattress and wrapped myself in the sheets.

And to my disbelief, I knocked out very quickly.

* * *

My eyes were opened to the darkness outside the house that my … hosts reside in. I was standing on the grassy front lawn of their house. I was in my armor that I was using from earlier. The skies above were of red-black once more.

_Where … where am I?_

Unexpectedly, two human silhouettes had formed up right behind me, right before the entryway of the shelter. I could not see their eyes or facial features whatsoever. They were all a blank. They had this aura however. A really calm and lovely aura. They approached me in such a slow saunter. I did not react whatsoever, I rather stood there without a care. I seemed to trust them, for whatever reason. They both wrapped their small arms with each of my metal arms.

To my surprise, they ended up smiling up to me. I felt so weird and yet so happy knowing that these two are smiling at me.

They both talked to me in such an eerie, echo-like voice. "Hello. Our little princess. Our little T-."

"What did you call me?" I questioned them.

Abruptly, they began screaming. Screaming in pain and sadness. "-! -! Run!"

"What?!"

Then multiple monstrous silhouettes molded all around us. They bear no face or sound. All I know that they were dangerous. They raised weapons hidden in shadows and stabbed and slashed at my friends.

"No! No! No!" I shrieked. My friendly shadows dissolved onto the floor into a muddy mess.

Angry, I jabbed at their attackers. But my fists phased through them like they were just clouds.

"What?!" I jabbed at them again. I couldn't touch them.

But, they could touch me. They all overwhelmed my arms and pulled me down to my knees. Their power is too strong for me. Or I am just weak. Before me, a big and harrowing monster laughed at me with evil and cruelty in its throat. It raised an axe-like weapon in the air and swung down at me.

* * *

I woke up before the blade had hit me. I was back at the bedroom with my hosts sleeping on various beds. I was drenched in sweat and was panting wildly. I placed the palm of hand onto my forehead to wipe away perspiration.

_It was all a dream. Okay, I'm fine. No need to worry._

I scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of place. Everyone was off dozing to whatever worlds their dreams permit. And it seemed to be early dusk outside the glass windows. Carefully, I crept out of bed without producing a single sound. Beside my mattress was the infant girl's bed. She was sound asleep and was making a low sounding snore. It appears she must have pushed away the sheets from her body during her slumber.

_ I could get midnight snack before I leave. _

I was about lay my fingers onto the little child's hair. But I realized something.

_Tsk. If I kill her, these people would like to return the favor. Besides, they let me sleep and rest here. It would be unjustly to do harm when they have been so nice to me. _

I gathered her sheets from and covered up the infant with it. I gently caressed the strands of her hair. I brushed it away to gaze at her further.

_So young. So innocent. So ignorant that death is right beside her. _

I smiled at her naivety. Or not.

_Something about her is so calm and relaxing. It feels so familiar. But where? The silhouettes? No! It can't be. To think about this further will only hurt my mind._

When I was done, I stealthily crawled out of that room. When I reached the first floor of the building, I noticed the glass fires of the building were kept alight. I made a quick survey around the room and spotted my black obsidian armor by the doorway. I walked beside the armor pieces. They were different though from the last time I saw them. They were freshly scrubbed with soap and water. I couldn't even see a single sign of grime at all.

_Why do this? Why do this for what?_

"Huh? You like it?" An annoying voice resounded behind my ears.

"Damn." I cursed silently. "What do you want, girl?" I tilted my head towards the girl.

Her arms were crossed together. She had this confident yet graceful smile. And her eyes were so gentle to look at. This was not the same girl I fought yesterday.

"My name is not girl. It is Lyddie." She replied. "And I don't want anything. But to keep you here for a little longer."

"I wasn't going out or anything." I responded.

"Don't lie. I know this is making you comfortable."

"Okay … fine then. Then stop what you're doing and leave me alone."

"I can't do that."

I exhaled at her annoyance, "Why can't you?"

"Because … you're alone. Like my brother before he met up with us."

"I don't need people like you."

She dashed in front of me, "We've been treating you so kindly after you tried to kill us. We are trying to help you and get you trust us. But you keep running. Why?"

I barked at her, "I never asked for your compassion. Or your help. I just want to be alone."

"But why?! Tell me." She insistently questioned.

She's really becoming more of nuisance. "Eh? Earlier you wanted me to not be here, but now you want me to stay. Make up your mind child."

"Don't change the subject. Tell me."

I snapped. "I don't know. I just don't want anyone to be near me. Just leave me alone!"

"I won't. I will stay right beside you as much as possible until I learn the truth."

I don't want to deal with her any further. I head back to the bedroom. Without uttering another word to her.

As I treaded on the staircase, she told me, "I know you were going to kill my sister." I halted immediately. "I saw your eyes. You were ready to kill her. But you didn't. So I knew there was something holding you back from doing evil deeds. There is some good in you. But you refuse to show it. And also, you are being haunted by something that is making you unhappy. I don't what, but I will find out."

I left her on her own without spewing out a single phrase or statement.

**Author's Notes: I know this was a short one. I just want to go start working on the journey that the family and their "guest" will partake to discover the past behind her. So I think it will be monthly uploads from now on. School is starting soon so I won't be that free to do what I want.**


	14. Travel

Chapter 14: Travel

The sky above was clear of any obscurities. Not even a faint trace of clouds can be sighted. The sun was blindingly bright as usual. And with its powerful rays of light, the foliage shined green. As if it was a hidden forest inhabited by fairies. It was amazingly calm and beautifully serene.

The whole gang was waiting outside for Bestinslot to come out of the structure. Lyddie, Annie, and Dean were all strapped on with the clothes they have acquired from their Village neighbors. The girl, to whom they don't know anything about, donned her newly scrubbed obsidian black armor, including her German Sallet helmet with a visor. And despite being very absent most of the time, living in the wild as it should, Fluffers also wanted to join along the children's journey of the unknown. He sat nicely and quietly on Lyddie's silky hair.

Though from sight alone, it may appeared that she is very close to her overnight hosts. But alas, it is not so. Despite her being a few inches away from the siblings, she was miles away from them nonetheless.

"So, do we have any idea to where are we going?" Dean asked her.

"What?" The violent girl questioned his question.

"Where are we going? You will be leading the way." Dean clarified his purpose.

The girl exhaled in displeasure, "I don't know."

"You've got to be kidding me?" He whined. "So we will be going in blind eh?"

"Just shut up tiny." She teased. "Or do you want me clock you in the face?" She suggested with a devilish smirk.

He gulped in fear and recoiled away from her in fear. Lyddie calmly observed as this scene was going on. Deep down, she was quite annoyed at the girl's distant and cold nature.

_Can you not just get along with us, even him?_ Lyddie thought.

The doors burst open with Bestinslot's slight kick. As usual, ever since he got the light armor and the Schiavona from his allies, he has been wearing them daily. However, he got some new things alongside him. It was the practically empty survival backpack he got from the ship wreckage strapped onto his back. Inside one of the small pockets was the lighter he salvaged. And in one of the main compartments was some basic medicinal herbs for treating wounds and cuts he got as a gift from Chantelle. In another compartment, it was filled with blankets for everyone to sleep with. Sadly no pillows as it would've been too much for the pack to handle.

He greeted, "Hey everybody. I want to clarify one thing before we go."

"Like what?" Lyddie asked him curiously.

"First off, we have no idea what is your name." He said as he pointed his finger at the violent girl. "So for now, let us call you 'The Queen' for now."

"Queen?!" Everyone, even the scarlet haired female, shouted in shock.

"I figured it would be fitting to call her that since she acted so much like a stingy queen when we first met her."

The kids were about to retaliate against the name. However, but they halted in place as they pondered on the name once more.

"It is not so bad actually." Dean commented.

Lyddie happily agreed, "It seemed actually a very appropriate for her for now."

Annie, have no idea what was going on. So she was just nodding away as if it was right.

The Queen stood there motionless at the words. It seemed so unsettling to be called something like that. But to what choice she has since her identity is hidden somewhere else.

"Any objections before we leave?" Bestinslot questioned his children.

Dean spoke out, "Yeah. We don't have any direction to leave to." He lifted a talon at the Queen. "Our "guide" here has no idea where to go herself. So what do we do?"

Bestinslot stood there with an open jaw in shock. He did not think that far ahead that she would magically know where to go. He scratched his head in irritation of his naivety. After a few moments of awkward silence, an idea popped out of his head.

"Guys, I'll head back inside for now. Stay here for now again."

He dropped his survival pack on the floor, making a light thump on the grassy terrain. He rushed inside the house and shut the doors behind him. After a few minutes of waiting patiently, Bestinslot burst out of the door once more. In his hand was a small, square-shaped, and periwinkle pillow back at the upper floors.

"What is that for dad?" Lyddie inquired.

"Something we can use when we get lost." He replied so wearily.

"Um, why did you get that?" Dean asked curiously.

The Queen ordered Bestinslot, "Tell me how that will help me find my real home."

"It is a theory I've made just earlier. For now, let's go to your tree-shelter thing."

"Are you sure that it help me find my home?" The Queen asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"We will never know until we try." He commented.

"Whatever. Let's get this done. I don't want to waste time talking." Dean interrupted.

The Queen glared at Dean so devilishly for disturbing her exploitation of information. Dean gulped in fear and carefully stepped back away from her.

"Dean's right. We can't spend too much time here." Bestinslot interjected from her silent threats to Dean. "I'll tell you when we get there."

The Queen growled for a second but sighed, "Fine. But you will tell me as soon as we get there."

"Alright let's go." Bestinslot ordered with an enthusiastic grin across his face.

* * *

With haste, the family and Queen managed to get to the hollowed out willow tree before noon arrived. Everything was the way it was as Dean and Lyddie last time visited it. The putrid stench of defecation and urine cloud this area. Bestinslot nearly hurled from the scent alone. But the others, even Annie, stood there and staring at him as if he was faking it.

"Oh god. That smells horrible." He whined. "How can you all ever stand that?" Bestinslot addressed to his children and Queen.

"Seriously?" Dean responded in disbelief.

"Yeah, it smells dangerous but not disgusting." Lyddie relayed nonchalantly.

The Queen crossed her arms, "This is my territory. Why should I ever be revolted by my scent?"

He sighed in how they are so distant right now.

"Okay fine then, I'll quit my whining." Bestinslot exhaled.

The Queen leaned beside her Willow Tree with her arms still crossed. "So, how will that piece of cloth will ever help me find my real home?" Hinting the square pillow Bestinslot has been carrying around in the bag.

"Oh right." He said. He scavenge through the back pockets of the backpack. He pulled out the pillow and gently shoved it to the Queen's face.

She gawked at him quizzically as if he had gone mad. "What do you want me to do with this?"

"Okay. What I want you to do is sniff this." Bestinslot explained. "I heard that with your senses, you can find a very similar material like the ones back at home. Just at a different area."

"And how will that help me find my own home?" She questioned his reasoning.

"If my hypothesis is correct, your home is just the same like ours. Just a bit different, I guess. So you may be able to recognize and distinguish what is ours and what is yours"

Dean interjected into his explanation, "So, you do know the chances of her figuring out that a specific scent of her own house are pretty low right?"

Bestinslot faced his small son. "It is the best we can do for now since we have no other choice."

Despite, their calm argument, the Queen stripped the pillow off of Bestinslot's palm just to get this over with. Hastily, the Queen inhaled the pillow as if it was an irresistible food. After a few seconds of smelling the cushion, she dropped it onto the dirty grass below them. She sniffed the air if there was barely any form of familiar trace. Moments had passed, and nothing came up.

"So, it ended up as a failure after all eh." Dean commented with a tone disappointment in his voice.

"Well, I guess we can always just -" Lyddie was to about suggest a different method to dealing with this situation until the Queen stopped her with a short growl.

Dean inquired her, "What? What happened?"

"Something … it smells faint … but just like the house … your house." She answered a low grumble.

"You found it! Yes!" Bestinslot cheered at his successful experiment.

"Follow me." The Queen already made a mad dash to the direction of where that scent originates.

"Wait! C'mon, let us catch up." Lyddie called out. "You didn't even give us a heads up."

"Screw it." Dean cursed. He made a quick sprint, following the Queen just by her tail. "No point to stopping her. It looks like we just have to comply for now." He informed his family.

The entire family then started their own mad run just to catch up with the ferocious female.

* * *

After a few hours has passed, the stopped in her tracks. The family followed suit with only Bestinslot completely exhausted from the never-ending jog. But he halted his panting, as he realized what is before him. Of all the things that Bestinslot was subjected was in terms of scenery in this land, this was a completely different. What once they were in a lush coniferous forest, now the party are standing before a vast and nearly lifeless desert. With large mounds of sand that nearly topple a four story building. And minimal winds just barely passing by them.

"I did not expect to come across something like this." The Queen remarked.

"Oh crap." Dean mouthed.

"I was not prepared for this." Bestinslot complained. "How could I have known if there was a desert in the middle of our journey?"

"So what? Do we turn back to be more prepared for this trek." Lyddie asked her group.

"What choice do we have? We'll die to a heat stroke if we go in there." Dean warned.

"Not to mention that we have a baby along us." Bestinslot mentioned to his kids. "This would be very hazardous for her if she travels through that desert."

But as the family was suggesting to retreat from this expedition, the Queen has other plans.

Dean scanned his surroundings, "Wait a minute. Where is she?"

The rest of the family glance over the environment. The Queen has left them. Luckily she had left some visible footprints on the sand.

"Oh no." Lyddie uttered under her breath. "She went on without us!"

"Argh! What do we do now? Leave her and get back to the house or track her prints?" He asked for a direction.

"Dean. We have no choice but follow her." Bestinslot answered him.

"But how about Annie?!" Lyddie and Dean exclaimed in worry.

Bestinslot pondered further. But he is running out of time. He doesn't know if the winds might pick up and brush away all the footprints.

"Sadly, we cannot lose the Queen. She needs us. Whether she likes it or not." Bestinslot argued. "We might have to do something along the way to shield Annie from having a heat stroke."

"I got an idea." Dean proclaimed.

"What is it?" Lyddie inquired inquisitively.

"No time to explain in detail." Dean responded as he was removing his jacket and pants.

"Dean … what are you doing?" Bestinslot moaned in awkwardness.

Dean stood up in his birthday suit. "All of you should do the same … now."

Bestinslot's eye twitched. "Why?"

But before he even realized it, Lyddie was attempting to strip of her armor on her own.

"Guys? Why are doing this?" Bestinslot queried again.

As Dean was removing Lyddie's metal armor, he replied in a nonchalant form, "We are not going to travel down that the heat stroke zone with clothes."

As soon as Dean was done removing Lyddie's armor, Lyddie ended up naked with her holding her armor in her bare arms. Dean then ripped the backpack out of Bestinslot's shoulders with the straps still in intact. Dean forcibly and carelessly stuffed his pants and most of Lyddie's armor into the bag. The breast plate, shin guards, and metal boots were left out since there was so little space for the bag to fit them all.

Dean tossed his jacket to Bestinslot's arms. "Use that to cover Annie from the sun."

"What? Dean wa-" he tried to halt his child, but Dean has gone so far ahead already that he didn't notice Bestinslot's warnings.

* * *

**An hour later …**

The sun was bearing down the Queen. She was perspiring so much that it looked like she entered a nonexistent waterfall. Even armor has gotten drenched in the perspiration. Her breath was of small intervals in every second. Even this desert is pushing her stamina limits to the test.

She should have gotten rid of her armor and abandon her quest. But no. Such a thought has not even crossed her mind. This smell of greatness and tranquility is too strong for such a temptation. She won't give in to what her mind is telling her no.

Even though her mentality and spirit is strong, her body is not as strong. The Queen's legs gave in to exhaustion. She dropped down to her knees but she is kept from eating the golden sand due to her prosthetic arms.

"Damn!" She cursed. _Keep going forward damn it. This is nothing! It should be nothing to me. _

Her legs attempted to rise from the sands. But her legs carry her any further. The Queen's vision began to become a golden swirl. Her legs just seemed to barely can keep up the weight of the armor and her. Her mind began to ache due to this heat. She will give in to the pain. No matter what.

She was about to pass out on the sandy dunes. But a faint voice awoke her from her dead like trance. She tilted her head behind her to find Dean behind her. Drenched in sweat and bearing the cumbersome backpack, he jogging straight to her side. He stopped in his tracks as he crouched by her side

"Ano? Napa ka gaga mo?!" Dean insulted her.

She just stared him blankly at his scolding. "What did you just say?" The Queen asked.

"Damn it. Not again." He swore. "Look, are you stupid? You could have gotten yourself killed out here in the desert." He scolded in a language she can understand.

He gripped onto her black diamond designed pauldrons and made an attempt to remove the armor pierce. She, however gave him a fierce thwack with her tail.

"Don't you ever dare touch me like that!" She snarled at the Deinonychus boy.

"What? We need to remove those armor pieces or you will die in this heat!" He snarled back.

She hissed furiously straight at his face. "I don't need to remove this armor! It is what keeps me safe!" She threatened him, "Touch me like that again and I'll crush you!"

He snarled while revealing his serrated teeth. "You know what, I'm tired of your spoiled little tantrums. It is time someone teaches you a lesson on respect."

"Oh! And you will be the teacher … Little Man?" She taunted.

He opened his maw wide, and then he was emanating a snake's hiss through his throat. Fueled by anger, she completely ignored her exhaustion and stood ready to fight. She bellowed this inhospitable roar that nearly shook the earth. But unlike before, Dean is not going to back down. They walked in a circle, sizing each other up. They were roaring and hissing like feral animals, ready to see who will strike first.

The Queen raised her right fist into the air to make the first strike. Her fist plummeted to Dean's face. But suddenly, her overhead jab was stopped in the process. Between the Queen and Dean, Lyddie with her shield was in the middle of it all, completely taking the power of the punch. Her shield shattered to pieces but Lyddie was unfazed or at least, she was not damaged by the attack. Lyddie then launched herself to the Queen and gripped onto the Queen's waist. Her launching force was enough to push the Queen down onto the sand.

The Queen writhed, "Damn it! Get off me girl!"

"Both of you! Stop it!" Lyddie shouted in an aggressive tone.

Bestinslot came running down to Lyddie's side to restrain Dean from fighting further. Annie and Fluffers stood by at the sidelines to not get in the way of the debacle.

"Dean, stop it!" Bestinslot ordered him.

"She was the one that started it!" He yelled.

"Oh really now. Aren't you the one that decided to create this ruckus by doing something that I don't want?"

"Shut up! We have to get rid of that armor for your sake!"

"You don't know what is for my sake." She hissed.

"I know for sure that you're being a spoiled little bi-"

"SHUT UP!" Lyddie blasted her voice through the area to halt the bickering.

Everyone stood in shock and still from her uproar. Lyddie herself was surprised by her upheaval as well and shuffled back away from the group.

Bestinslot eventually spoke up after a few dead moments, "Uh … Lyddie is right guys. Stop it both of you."

The Queen and Dean hissed away from each other and gazed at the opposite of each other.

Bestinslot sighed in grief of this situation. "It is probably the heat getting to our heads." He replied. "Let's get out of here as soon as possible alright?"

The Queen and Dean spoke no words and just quietly complied with his suggestions. The Queen hastily picked up the scent that she was looking for. And head forward to the destination.

* * *

After a few hours had passed, the sky was dashed in orange red, the peak of sunset. The air has begun to become chillier than before. Luckily, they were at the edge of the desert's end. What lay ahead of them is a coniferous forest like before from where they were. But the Queen assured them that this is the correct path. So they went ahead into the forest's abyss.

Finally, grass beneath their feet again. Never could the prickly blades of grass could be so pleasing. And since the team and the Queen was in moderately cool temperatures and shade, the rest of the team put back on their armor or clothes.

In Bestinslot's arms was Annie crunched up and soundly asleep. Bestinslot gazed upon his child's cute face and brushed away loose strands bronzed colored hair to see a better look on his daughter. But as he cleared away the follicles, he grazed on her forehead with his smooth palm. He noticed that Annie's baby smooth skin has become hardened a bit.

"Hey! Queen! Is it okay if we okay if we set up camp right now?" He shouted.

"What?! We are so close!" She responded. "Is it really _that_ important?!" She asked.

"I am not gonna have my kid be overheating." He argued.

Dean interjected the argument, "That's right. This little quest can wait for another day."

Lyddie joined along as well, "Besides, I can see that you need to rest to. We need to eat and rest for the night. That includes you."

Outnumbered in votes and numbers, the Queen gave into their desires. In some random area, they decided to set up their campsite not far from the path that they were taking. And night is nearly upon them, so they must act quickly.

Bestinslot ordered his kids, "Dean, go out there and get some food for us tonight. Lyddie, go and find several logs of wood and leaves for a fire."

"What are you going to do Dad?" Lyddie questioned.

"I'll go and see if I can find a water source for us to hydrate ourselves." He answered.

"Hoy! How about her?" Dean pointed at the Queen as she was sitting on a fallen log.

"She is on babysitting duty." He pointed.

"Really?!" Lyddie exasperated. "Do you really want to trust her to be alone with Annie?"

Bestinslot stared back at where the Queen was. He returned to face his children and said, "Look, I know this may be a bad decision. But at the same time, this may be a good experience for her to learn to respect others."

"I don't know dad." Lyddie spoke in a whisper. "Last night, I saw her eyes. They were ready to kill Annie in her sleep."

"But she didn't." He interjected. "I know it is a big risk. But we have to take risks. I mean, we took Annie through a blazing desert. I think her safety have been compromised long time ago."

"I don't know … placing my sister's life in someone like her is probably the last thing I want to do." Dean commented.

"I'm sorry. But we have to trust her with something. Besides, she is pretty much exhausted from doing anything."

"Alright, I guess we know what we are going to do then?" Lyddie asked.

"Oo" Dean answered.

"Yuppers!" Bestinslot replied.

"Okay." She whispered. She turned to the Queen's direction and shouted, "We'll be going out and get some stuff! You'll stay here and keep Annie safe, okay?"

The Queen lifted her head to Lyddie's position. She huffed in displeasure and made a slight nod in agreement. What else can she do but sit around and wait for them to do what they want.

The family soon dispersed in a few moments later to do their separate duties.

* * *

**Dean**

Dean stumbled onto the deepest sections of the forest. Night has befallen onto him and it would have been very difficult to see anything at all. But due his Deinonychus genes, he can spot things in clear detail from a great distance. If only there was something of great importance for his stomach.

Though, a few moments before, he was walking aimlessly to find some sort of food source. Some sort of good meat that would please him, Bestinslot, and the Queen. Alas, he could only spot foodstuffs that would fill the bellies of his herbivorous sisters. Just simple grasses, berries, and flowers. Nothing that would be appetizing at all.

"Damn it!" He cursed. "Wala karne dito! Bakit pa?!" He screeched.

He was about to give up his little quest as the night is getting chillier that even his jacket couldn't insulate him. But then he picked up a scent of something good. Something familiar. Something that has a lot of meat for everyone. Deer.

He pointed his nose into the air. Sniffing violently for where the deer's scent came from. When he pinpointed where the direction where the deer are, his pupils contracted into small slits and dashed towards the deer's direction. After jumping and running around, the scent is getting stronger, and more visible signs of the mammals' activities are being more present. Broken shrubbery, half-eaten bushes, small pieces of fecal matter, and some hooved prints on the dirt floor; surely these are the signs that deer have been passing through here.

Eventually, Dean spotted the herd from a distance. The herd was somewhat at a grassy clearing. A few large tree branches hovered over the herd and a few rocks that provided little cover for him. Some of the deer had fallen asleep, but a few bucks kept wide awake to scout out any predators. Predators like him.

Dean crouched onto all fours and headed to the right side of herd. He spotted some good elevation for him to climb over and leap onto them from the air. When he is assured that the herd had no sight of him, he leapt onto a base of tree. With amazing scaling prowess, he successfully reached at the top of the tree silently and quickly. He would then hop from tree branch to tree branch, doing his best to not disturb or cause a ruckus that compromise the hunt.

When he is on the tree branch that soared above the herd, he gazed onto which is the most valuable prey right now. There is that large buck that one quick slash around the jugular vein would make it an easy kill. However it is too far. He looked again which is closer and the most abundant in terms of flesh. The best choice so far is the massive female that is just a few meters from where he is. She is sleeping silently and without any acknowledgement of what is about to happen.

He mouthed, "Got ya." As he was about to pounce on the slumbering female.

Although, he was interrupted by a noisy crow as it squawked when he was actually near its nest. The herd looked up at the disturbance and as a result saw a looming figure above. They went on high alert and began to scramble from the area.

"Crap!" He swore. He dived forward to his potential prey.

Luckily, he got to get the pounce on her before she even reacted to escape. He landed onto the doe and placed his arms around its neck. In a rapid and spinning motion, he pulled the doe to topple its body onto floor. He crashed the massive doe onto the floor. He placed his fingers over the doe's head but did not stabbed at its eyes with his talons. Rather, he was merely holding it down for his other hand to slash away it jugular vein.

He snickered in relief. Food, delicious food right in front of him. And all he has to do is kill it kill it with one good laceration on the right spot.

However, as he was about to unleash the final blow, he was halted by a mere sound in front of him. He lifted his head to the disruption and found a small fawn a few meters before him. It was bawling uncontrollably at the doe. Probably it was its kid or something.

_Well then. Okay? That won't stop me little one._

He placed his talons near the doe's neck region. It was such a simple motion. Dig your fingers in and rip the neck to pieces. Yet, he just couldn't. His hands were not responding to what he is thinking.

_Just rip her throat out! What the hell?!_

He tried slashing again. But every time, his hands stopped halfway from harming the creature further. He stared back at the little fawn bawling out for its mother. It was still wheezing and running about for its mother, but did bother come further.

He blew out a short breath and whispered, "You've got to be kidding me."

He glared at his prey on the ground. It was unharmed, for the most part, and was breathing expeditiously at the situation. Dean made a tiny exhalation and slowly loosened his grip on the doe.

"Go on. Get out of here."

When he let go of the mammal fully, the doe hurriedly scurried away from the boy's position. And sprinted towards the fawn and whisked it away from the area. Dean, kneeled there blankly at the location where that fawn and doe were.

"Well, there goes dinner." He commented. _Just like last time. With that knight and hooded man. I let go of my kill. Damn! Why?!_

He smashed his fist onto the grassy floor in rage. He stifled an enraged roar from his throat.

_Damn it! There is no use crying over a missed opportunity. I guess I'll try again tomorrow._

He stood up and sauntered away from the site. He was now heading back to camp and tell the others the bad news. That is, until he heard him screaming in shock and dismay.

**Author's Notes: Hello everybody! Yeah sorry for taking so long to do start this thing again. School and whatnot is ruining my upload schedules. So I'm very sorry for that in advance and again. But yeah, that's all. Sorry for everything. Especially if this chapter was unsatisfactory. **


	15. The Queen and Annie

**The Queen and Annie**

Annie was within looking distance from the queen. Not exactly terrified but not exactly relaxed either of her presence. She was sitting down plainly on the grassy floor, picking up dirt and bugs to play with. As Annie was soiling her hands with the dirt and mud, the Queen has had her hands together under her chin, thinking on what to do next.

_What I'm going to do when I get there? Do I just tell them to leave and live back home? Is there even a home to go back to? Who is going to greet me when I get home?_ She contemplated._ Home. Home. Home! Home! Home!_

She smashed her cumbersome fist down on the log she was sitting on. The log section beside her has been shattered entirely and left a gaping hole in its location. Annie jumped a bit at the sound and shuffled away further from the Queen.

"Damn that word!" She cursed. "Why does it bother me so much?" She hissed.

The Queen noticed Annie was clearly staring at the Queen in pure horror of the outburst. Annie was also at a dangerous distance away from the Queen and very close to the dense shrubbery ahead.

"That little -" She began to whine silently. "You!" The Queen barked. "Get back here you imbecile." She demanded harshly.

Annie, terrified of the vocal eruption, she took a few steps back away from the terrible Queen. The Queen rolled her eyes in displeasure and rose from her seat and furiously sauntered towards the little baby. She reached forward to Annie's little cranium. Annie, terrified to move away, she merely froze in fear of the Queen's ever-approaching presence.

Though, the Queen would have furiously grabbed her neck and place her back to a reasonable position, something has given her a whiff of a dangerous scent. Something that smells horrible and rotten. Something familiar yet at the same time, not. The Queen halted in place before Annie, eyeing their very surroundings to where this scent may be from.

A few seconds has passed, the Queen understood what the scent that fouled the air was. Ghouls. Luckily, it seemed that the strength of the scent means tells that there are a few of the monsters. Odd. But, something she can deal with easily. But she never had the experience to defend something other than herself.

She turned around to find one native ghoul hobbling towards them in one broken leg. The Queen get into her boxing stance to deal with the monster. However, Annie doesn't know direness of the situation and is merely believing that the danger is the Queen. As the creature approached, the Queen dashed in front of the Ghoul and crush its skull within two quick jabs. The Ghoul was dead again before it even it hit the floor.

The Queen turned back to Annie's position. Annie was still huddled in the same spot as before with her hands above her head and her eyes. But behind the Ankylosaurus child, another ghoul popped out of the underbrush. It was unbelievably fast for a running corpse. Annie's tiny little cranium is within inches for the ghoul's gaping maws. Although, its assault was cut short just before it laid a tooth on the poor child's follicle.

The entire head was gripped by the metallic fingers that the Queen possessed in her right palm. With severe strength and without hesitation, she crushed entire head as if it was a grape. The ghoul's head exploded into a foul and bloody mess. When the blood hit the back of the child's back, Annie turned to find the dead again corpse in the grip of the Queen. She hurriedly shuffled back away from the ghoul's body and closer to the Queen.

The Queen immediately dropped the corpse and grabbed Annie away from both corpses. Afterwards, she placed the Ankylosaurus baby near the log that she was sitting on.

"Look! See what you got yourself into!" The Queen growled. "Just stay by my side until they come back!" She barked as she gripped both the baby's shoulders lightly but firmly.

Annie did not understand whatever the Queen spouted. But she knew that she was being scolded furiously by the immense Queen. Her deadly scarlet eyes says it all. The little baby eyes began to water a bit. Tears were streaming down her face with such great quantity. However, not a sound of sadness can be heard.

The Queen took notice of this but brushed it off with a scoff. She does not care if the baby is unhappy or not. She has no form of attachment to this child. Why should she care if it is crying or laughing? The Queen sat back onto her log and kept an ever watchful over Annie.

* * *

A few minutes later, Annie was still crying profusely with just a sight but not sound. The Queen annoyed at the sight. Or rather, does not want to see the tears anymore. It does not anger her, but it gives her some sort of drive to end the sad sight.

"Will you stop doing that?" She snarled.

However it seemed to make things worse for little child.

The Queen sighed, "Just stop. It is making me feel … weird looking at you like that."

Nothing changed.

"Damn." She cursed silently. She sat there a few more seconds to think of something.

A few moments passed and she exhaled a large amount of oxygen and stood up. Queen approached Annie and picked her up. Annie gripped onto the steel plated shoulder of the Queen and cried on it. Her salty tears and a bit of snot was basically plastered all over the Queen's metallic shoulder.

"Ugh. What do I do in a situation like this?" The Queen whined.

She began bouncing the little Ankylosaurus girl gently in her arms, hoping that would calm her down. However, no matter how long she tried, the flood of tears were still in motion. The Queen sighed in displeasure and began looking about to see if there is something that would pacify the little toddler. The Queen spotted a wild blueberry shrub within a few meters from where they were. She gripped gently onto the little girl and hurried her there to the shrubbery.

She laid the baby gently in her sitting position in front of the bush.

"There. You like this stuff right?" She spoke. "Go ahead. Eat it."

But Annie completely ignored her and kept on sobbing without any signs of halting.

The Queen rolled her eyes. "Seriously?!"

The Queen ripped off a large branch from the bush and practically shoved the branch to Annie's face.

"C'mon. Mm." She attempted to tempt the toddler. "Look, delicious."

Alas, her weeping will not cease.

_This little idiot is really getting on my nerves._ She thought.

"JUST SHUT UP!" She bellowed in front of the girl's tiny little face. The uproar was so powerful, it knocked the little girl down by sheer force of the Queen's voice.

As Annie, was lying flat on the ground, she no longer is stifling a noise. She began to wail. A very faint and high-pitched wail, but a wail nonetheless. An actual noise that sprouted the mostly silent creature.

The Queen stared blankly at the sight. She felt this this pain in her chest and head that coursed through her body when the bawling began.

_Must be the crying. _

She covered her ears to shield from that quiet yet incessant yelling the little girl was producing. Despite the noise being nullified, something is still burning her head and chest.

_If it isn't the cries, then what is it? Why do I feel something is burning my heart and head?_

Desperate, she attempted to muffle the child's mouth. But Annie just merely shove her hand away with quick smacks. Exhausted physically through the desert trek and tired mentally in dealing with the little girl, she truly could not handle this situation at all.

_Damn it all! Why can't things just go the way it should the way I planned it?! Why am I have to deal with the troubles of others?! It is their kid. Why put me in charge of her?! _

Depressed and too tired to think logically at all, she was about lay her metallic fist to pulverize the small child. But as she was about to smash the kid to bits, she gazed on the small Ankylosaurus child once more.

Alone and crying. Familiar yet distant at the same time. Something about this kid is ruining her rage and fury and turning it into a form of sadness. She just slumped down to her knees and sobbed as well.

"What is wrong with me?!" She bellowed. "Why I am acting like this?!" She wept as her screams were muffled by her steel arms.

As the Queen teared up, she gazed on Annie's lain flat on the grass as the little girl wept. Filled with some sort of urge, she hurriedly crawled to the little child's position.

She hugged the little girl closely around her metallic arms. She held onto the girl and held her closer to her body as well. She gently brushed and patted her little head as a last resort to calm her down.

As she was caressing the little Ankylosaurus baby's head, she whispered to Annie's ear, "Look. I'm sorry. Just stop. Okay?"

Annie then began to cease her wails as the Queen was being a bit gentler now compared to earlier before. She sought for the warm embrace of the Queen by hugging her body as best she could. But the armor being so cold and unwelcoming, it gave great discomfort.

She looked at the child and understood her pain. "All right. Just this one time. For you." She whimpered.

She stripped down from her armor. As she remove herself of her protections, she wore a tattered, dirty, and foul shirt. Though, by the looks of it, brown was not the intended color.

Annie, staggered by her scent a bit, but it did not stop her from seeing to it that she received the Queen's reluctant warm embrace. Annie wrapped her arms around the Queen's waist and held onto it with such great force for a child.

"That hurts a bit." The Queen remarked. "You're pretty strong for a weak- I mean, for a kid." She sniffled.

The Queen wrapped her metal arms around the little girl's body and patted her gently once more.

"I have no idea what I am doing." She whispered to herself. "I am hugging an herbivore. My meal. My food-supply. This goes against the order of nature."

She stared down at the little girl. Her displeasured squeals have stopped and her tears have stopped falling down. She was calm once more. Like back when she was with her family.

"But … is it alright for me to do this?" She commented. "I don't want to be attached to something that is not mines."

Annie answered the Queen with a high-pitched yawn.

The Queen responded to herself, "No. I won't fall for this. I will stick to my original plan. Once I reached to where am searching for, I will go and …."

A faint breathing of Annie can be heard below the Queen's chest. She is truly nestled in the warm body of the immense carnivore.

"Leave these guys alone." She whispered.

Tired from this entire debacle. She too was about to rest her eyes. Until she heard his cries of galvanization and disarray.

**Author's Note: Wassup. Yup. I know. Took way too long to start this thing again. But finally an actual break so I can finally post this. Sadly, I don't think I can post again until Winter Break has come for my school. I want to say thanks for your patience. And I hope I could post more satisfactory chapters in the future.**


	16. Skulls and Spirits

**Chapter 16: Skulls and Spirits**

"Hmm. Maybe a few more branches will do for the fire." Lyddie consulted with herself.

In her arms was a large bundle of branches and some pieces of fallen log. Though it is quite a large stack, she doesn't seemed to have bothered with it. And she found out that it was quite relaxing to be away from the Queen. She was being quite boisterous than she expected. And she is quite worried about the Queen being at her little sister's side. Still, there is that little hope of her to see the Queen as someone she can trust.

She picked up a few more branches to fit into her bundle of wood. At that point, she already reached her limits in what she can carry.

"This will do." She assured herself.

As she turned back to the camp, across her way were pockets of purple steam that were clouding the path before her.

_Purple Steam. Oh no._

Within the purple steam rose a looming and familiar figure. A very hostile figure.

_I gotta run._

Lyddie turned back and dashed out of that area. She is not ready to fight an Assassin on her own. Not much less kill it.

As she ran forward to anywhere that isn't there, she could feel an odd atmosphere looming behind her. An atmosphere that is literally breathing down on her neck. She gripped onto the firewood ever so tightly in fear. She dared to turn her head back to see what was there. As she look behind for a split of a second, the purple mist is literally within tail's length of her now.

_Oh no._

Before she was consumed by the purple mist, she soon tripped by a fallen log. She crashed face first to a rocky hillside, dropping her wooden spoils in the process. She tussled and turned as she descended deeper into the bottom of the hill. Eventually, she landed into the dirt below without any form of severe damage.

Slowly, she picked herself up and gazed towards the hill's peak. At the hill's peak, a Dark Light Assassin loomed over her. The demon stood quite tall, taller than most of the previous run-ins with the Dark Light Assassins. Its eyes of Amethysts shone in its unnatural glow. However, it does not seem to glare them towards her. Rather, it is blankly staring into the nothing of the hillside's bottom. But not for long, it vanished into air. Not into its mist.

_Well … at least I am alive._

Lyddie shifted her body to the dense and coniferous forest behind her. She checked her surroundings and viewed nothing of a sort that may take her back to the campsite.

"No way I can go back now." She whispered to herself. "I have to move forward. Even if it is dangerous."

She trudged forward to the canopy ahead using only the paths illuminated by the moon.

* * *

**A few minutes later …**

Eventually, the child made her way to a clearing with only a tree by the middle of it.

_Great. Another field of grass. I haven't seen enough of those have I?_

"Hehe." A faint giggle echoed throughout the night. After that, everything else turned quiet. Not even a single cricket chirping.

"What?" Lyddie asked. "Who goes there?"

"Come here." The voice asked.

"Where?"

"So cute. To the tree. Like we always go to."

"What tree?" Lyddie questioned. But by then, there was no reply.

_The only tree here is the one in the middle. I guess that is what they mean. _

Closer, Lyddie crept closer to the tree around the center of the grassy clearing. It was beautiful in the night's light. The light beamed onto its leaves, giving it such an amazing color of black and violet. It is something that may resemble that of the magical fantasy. However, it was only the tree alone that is within Lyddie's cone of vision.

"Where are you?" She whispered.

But before she know it, her eyes went dark as someone latched their hands to cover Lyddie's vision. The hands came from behind her. But the touch was gentle yet forceful at the same time. Gripping her so tightly without any noticeable pain.

"You came to see me." The voice giggled near Lyddie's ear. The voice is clear now. It is that of a woman.

"What are you doing?!" Lyddie asked in fear.

"Shhh. Do not worry." She replied. "I won't hurt you."

"Can you let me see you?"

"No. Not yet." She answered. "Just close your eyes okay. And don't open them until I tell you to.

With blind and silent obedience, Lyddie shut her eyes for the woman.

"Give me your hand." The woman gracefully demanded.

And like before, she gave her only human hand without any resistance. The woman grabbed the girl's hand and tugged her for quite a short distance. Probably just a few meters and a few spinning around. Lyddie is most likely at the other side of the tree.

The woman cusped Lyddie's hand open and place something at the center of her palm.

The woman asked, "Remember that?"

"No. What is it?" Lyddie responded.

"My, you look so grown yet you have a mind of a baby." She remarked sarcastically. "Silly, it is a leaf from the tree you adore so much. The Tree of Ender."

"Excuse me?"

"The Tree of Ender. The place where I gave birth to you."

"What?!" Lyddie gasped. "I'm sorry but I do not know you like that."

In a short gasp of surprise, "Oh my. You don't remember me?"

"I'm sorry. I don't recall your voice at all."

"Well, it has been 16 years. I guess I could understand." The Woman responded.

"What?" Lyddie inquired further. "I was not born that long ago. And I do not recall anything about a tree or something."

"You're being ridiculous." The woman's voice is being more assertive. "Look, it may have been years then. But you surely must remember.

Angry with the woman's stubbornness, Lyddie opened her eyes and glared at the woman to let her know she is wrong. Or at least attempted to. In the end, she stared in horror of the woman before her.

Her skin is that of horrid gray. Blood is practically the color of her eyes. Her hair is clean and broken at the same time. She is missing a few teeth and the rest of her teeth left obtained a sharp edge in each and every one of them. Her grimy and dirt-stained clothes, have been torn to barely cover the necessities. Lacerations of a whip covered everywhere from arms to the neck. Chains have been literally etched and stabbed into her legs which in each end leads to the ground.

And that is not all that has changed. The entire area Lyddie was standing in has been altered as well. It wasn't a grass field anymore. It became a barren waste of obsidian rock with no beauty of life peering out. And tree was not lush with odd leaves. Rather it was just a blackened and charred version of what it used to be. And on one of the branches, hanged a looming skeleton above Lyddie.

"Oh my Lord." Lyddie stuttered in fear.

"Oh." The woman remarked. "You were not my child after all." She paused then said, "My daughter would have listened to me fully."

Lyddie hesitated in her voice, "Look … I am not your child. I am a child of Bestinslot."

The woman roared, "I do not care if you're a child of someone else! You're not my child!" She began to whine in shallow wail. She screamed in anger, almost like a chant, "Damn! Damn! Damn it all! I want my daughter back! I want her now!"

Lyddie stared at her in fear and in sadness. "Look, maybe I can he-"

The woman roared in a devilish echo, "GET OUT! GET OUT!

Her chains rattle violently as she yelled to the sky. The earth began to shake at her bellows. The tree began to rattle and bend in the madness. The skeletal corpse from above began to move in synch with the broken woman.

The woman turned her face towards Lyddie. "Just get out of my face!"

"Wait! Please li-" Lyddie begged.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

A purple mist surrounded the woman.

"What in the world?!" Lyddie yelped.

Then that very mist blasted the surrounding area, pushing Lyddie to the floor and away from the tree. Lyddie quickly recuperated from the purple explosion. And in the center of the foggy mist before her was the woman's silhouette. And she is approaching quickly against Lyddie.

"Oh no." Lyddie whispered.

She realized that negotiations are no longer possible in the current situation she is in. The only option she can ever partake, flee and live. Lyddie made a sprint of fear and ran from the haunted area. Ear-piercing yells can be heard from all around. But Lyddie can notice that each yell is getting ever closer.

But hope is not dead. Lyddie noticed that before is a land untouched by the haunted field. It was pure of lush and pure greenery compared to the wasteland before. This is her shot of safety. And her only thing that may represent safety from the horrid specter.

But those chains and screaming is now closer than ever than Lyddie originally anticipated. Nonetheless, Lyddie ignored everything except the mere goal to reaching into the normal scenery.

She struggled and tripped in her sprint, but never did she ever stopped moving. She was just meters from safety. That is until something has latched onto her ankle, forcing her to plummet to the barren rock.

She landed on the rough stones but her armor kept most of the significant damages affecting her. As soon as she had landed on the floor below, she turned her body to why her ankle was incapacitated. It was a hand of the woman. It was sprouting from the rocky dirt and gripped onto Lyddie's ankle with inhuman strength. And slowly, the woman rose from the ground to latch her hatred and anger onto Lyddie fully.

Lyddie tossed and turned to free herself from the woman's grip. She sat upright and swung her triceratops skull with all her might on the devastating woman. However, her weapon merely phased through the woman as if she was nothing but air.

It was then Lyddie panicked and attempted to reach outside to the forest before her. She crawled as much as she could. She was just millimeters away before the woman flipped her over to make Lyddie face the woman with all her horrifying beauty. The woman soon thrusted her hands to choke the living life out of Lyddie.

Her touch is that of ice and her grip is that of bear's jaws. Lyddie could feel her life being inched away as the woman. Her eyes convulsed in the pain of her windpipe being crushed.

The woman sobbed as she kept choking Lyddie. Yet, at the same time her eyes are still that of anger and rage.

Lyddie looked beyond herself and attempted once more to reach outside the barren landscape and the woman's deathly grip. She extended her hand far to the lush greenery. She got her fingers just outside. Then her knuckles. She could do it. But her vision seems to haze and fade into the black.

_No. Please. I want to live._

And just then, she could feel something gripped gently onto her hand. It felt bony and thin compared to her soft human fingers. And it was scaly and rough in nature. Yet it was warm in touch the nonetheless. It soon wrapped onto Lyddie's fingers and yanked her away from the woman's deathly grip.

Lyddie soon crashed onto the familiar grassy blades and the cool and wet mud. She coughed violently as she attempted to regain air back inside her body. She could breathe again after a few short minutes. As she turned to face and thank her savior. There was nothing at all. Not even the deathly woman who wanted to kill her. It was just her in the grassy floor and a barren wasteland before the natural forest. Except for the purple mist that surrounded her.

"Oh god." She whispered.

However, the mist soon cleared away from her and left her alone.

Lyddie tilted her head and looked all over to understand on what has transpired tonight.

"What has happened?"

Alas, she would not have even the luxury to recollect her thoughts. The screams of her father can be heard from a distance. It is not far, but not the short either.

"D-dad?" Lyddie stuttered.

**Author's Note: Hey guys. I know. This was late. Like really late. And really short. And I am sorry. This is all I could do with the work school has been giving me lately. Also for the fact I made the first chapter for a different fanfiction. That is mostly because I got these thoughts in my head and I have to do that to clear my mind a bit. So thank you for the patience.**


	17. The Courtyard and the Lair

**Chapter 17: The Courtyard and the Lair**

Bestinslot wandered aimlessly in his section of the dense forest in hopes to find a source of water. He sauntered for quite some within the forest with only relying on his sense of memory to return to camp. The luminance emanating from the moon above was what lit his path. Eventually he stopped after a few more moments of walking by with nothing to provide evidence of water to use.

"Damn." He cursed. "If I go any further from the camp, I may forget where I was and get lost." He recollected his thoughts. "Better be safe than sorry."

As he was going to step back and trace his steps, something peaked his interests. He noticed something he had not quite seen before in this new found land. It was practically impossible to see it before due to the shrubbery. But he can recognize such manmade architecture that consisted with stone.

A large wall. Or at least the ruined remains of a stone-based structure. The wall wasn't exactly massive, but it didn't require any special equipment to trek over the deteriorated walls. Moss and vines overwhelmed of what is left of dismantled walls of the former fortress. Massive cracks practically cover every end of the stony structure.

"Cool. A castle." He exclaimed. "I think."

The Englishman approached casually to the walls and made a brief survey if there is any access points that he can easily pass through. Alas, despite the deteriorated appearance of the stony fortress, it still stood tall.

_Remarkable. _

He stared at the wall in awe for a few moments until noises from afar can be heard behind him. Very horrifying and dangerous noises.

"Really?!" He exclaimed. He stared at the wall again. _I could probably hide behind the rubble from those creatures._

The man placed his palm over the wall if some stone bricks were loose enough for him to use to climb up. Yet the wall was formidable enough to not even have loose bricks.

"Whoever made the fortress's walls must be really good to have it last for so long to the forces of Nature." He commented. _I guess I may have to end up using vines to jump across this thing. _

Bestinslot gripped onto the vines nearby and began to climb over the vines.

_I pray to Raptor Jesus that this stuff is not poisonous._

Ultimately, he managed to climb over the wall and onto the top of it within seconds and without him breathing his last breaths. He stood over the wall and looked over a stony courtyard. Or the remnants of what used to be a stony courtyard. For Mother Nature had made this area hers as weeds and grass practically polished what is left of the stony flooring. And in the middle of the courtyard stood a large white birch tree with glistening emerald colored leaves. The tree oddly has a natural and large opening between its roots. The courtyard was also filled with crates that must have belonged to the old residents of the courtyard.

"Woah." The British man remarked. "But something is off for some reason."

He hopped down to the courtyard level and landed on a small patch of grass. He sauntered through the area and inspected the perimeter within. When the man walked before the crates he finally understood the oddity of the place. They were too modern for the likes of the medieval remnants of the courtyard.

"What in the world?" He asked to nothingness in confusion. He calmly brushed his hand on one of the wooden crates.

The crate bore the words "Supplies" in dark red colors that stretched the entire width of the crate.

_Maybe there some food in here. Or something useful since it looks like it hasn't been opened yet. Maybe there is a crowbar I could use to pry this open._

Bestinslot made a quick scan on the immediate area for a useful tool to pry the crates open but came out fruitless.

_Damn._ He stomped his foot on the ground in brief anger.

_I don't want to use the Schiavona here. What happens if I break the sword and things go haywire? Better not take my chances for something like that._

However, he was given the nature's warning. Leaves rustled from the Birch Tree and animals yelped wildly as the echoes of monsters and demons are getting closer.

_Seriously?! _He asked the coincidence. _From the sounds of it, it seems like a few of them are getting closer. I have to find shelter soon._

Bestinslot checked the area once more thoroughly if there was something he missed in his initial scouting. By the opposite side of the courtyard from where he scaled the wall, he noticed small stony tunnel with a metal door by its entrance.

_Bingo._

He made a quick jog towards the stony entrance. Surrounding the entrance was a couple of bodies scattered about the immediate. The bodies adorned dark grey colored security jackets alongside dark blue uniforms. Or at least what scraps of clothing has been left on them. They seemed to be dead for quite some time as they were mostly bone than flesh. Beside the two corpses was a rusty and grimy pistol nearby. And plenty of empty bullet shells and one shotgun shell on the floor. With the pungent scent of death being prominent there.

_Well … there was indeed a fight. But what killed them?_

Bestinslot inspected the bodies to see what kill them. He lifted one of the corpses' heads to see if damage started from there.

_From the looks of it … this poor guy or girl's skull was crushed a bit. Something clamped between the cheeks._ _There is some indication that whatever crushed this person's skull, had teeth due to some large indentations on the cheek bones._

He went on to inspect the other corpse.

_Odd. No bite marks. But there is a large of pool blood below this person's body. Maybe he or she has been cut to death. _

He soon felt something around one of the pockets of the torn uniform. He picked it out and revealed a tiny black flashlight. _Cool Beans. This will be very useful._

He lay the corpse down gently and soon after eyed on the security pistol. He snatched the weapon of the grass and scanned the weapon thoroughly.

_Well, it is a very heavy gun. And has a large and long barrel. _

He removed the magazine from the pistol. _Two bullets are left. Judging from the magazine size, it probably held about ten to twelve bullets. _

He placed the pistol back to the grass. _In the end, it is useless. It couldn't take down whatever it was being used for. And, after all this time, I doubt it can operate properly. _

The man gazed towards the door and sauntered casually to it. The door was a bit grimy with mud and vines from Mother Nature's doing, but it still bore a bit of its steely shine. Bestinslot plastered his hands all over the door in order to find a knob. Alas, it was a fruitless endeavor as this door was clean. At least, from its own innate structure.

"Seriously?!" He stammered. He sighed in disappointment, "Maybe there is a button nearby that I could use.

The man shifted his palms around the entire door frame and walls of the doorway. Eventually, he found a large indenture sticking out of the right side of the door. It was cold to the touch and was a bit dusty from use.

_Sweet. A button._

Bestinslot pressed lightly on the button. A blast of depressurized oxygen exited out of the doorway and consumed the man's body entirely. As he peered through the open doorway, the path before him aimed downward into a deeper facility. However, the only light visible was that of the outside moon unveiling the beginning steps of metallic and girded stairs.

Fortunately, the father had obtained a flashlight. After a sharp flick of the switch, the flashlight emitted a bluish white shine. The beam, while powerful, can only penetrate the darkness for so far as he aimed the beam towards the path before him. Each step he made produced the echoing sound of rusty metal as foot barely even touch the stair's surface.

The trek downwards was long and troubling to say the least. As if the bottom had never exist and he simply walking down a loop. But there is no such thing as infinity in this world of his. As soon as he had reached the bottom of the stairway, before him was a narrow and harrowing hallway. Cobwebs were lain here and there alongside the decrepit and rusty metal walls. Considering the external infrastructure, this entire area was a flash build. Wires that was surely meant to power the facilities' machinery was left hanging a bit below the hallway's ceiling. And the rectangular frames for light was, irritatingly, asymmetrically placed.

_It would be a miracle if the circuitry is still operational despite the ages of decay._

The Englishman winded down the corridor in hope to find some items of value that will be helpful for the expedition. As he crept through the corridor, each step bellowed inside the passageway as if he were to be an abandoned and lifeless cave. The flashlight being his only way to guidance, and even then, can barely be useful under the heavy darkness.

Eventually he came around a sharp corner that bore a yellow arrow pointing left of the only passageway.

Arrow bore large and black words, "Safe Room."

_Safe Room? Probably an emergency room. It could have some water for Annie. And maybe supplies for the road._

He turned right and proceeded forward deeper in the passages. As he went onward, he noticed that black blood stained the walls of the halls. Acknowledging, the state of the corpses outside, the blood is old. But, regardless of its age, there are plenty of bloodstains on the walls. It would almost be that the walls were entirely painted using blood if it weren't for the clean sections grey metal.

He winded down the corridors a bit further and soon came across an open entryway. He passed through the entryway and entered a spacious room. It bore the usual cold and bearing metallic walls like the corridors previously explored. The room showed quite a scene for him. All over the floor was a few broken tables and scattered paper lying around. There was a couple of empty bullet shells left lying here and there. But there was no gun left behind from the scene. And surprisingly, there was very little blood on the floor and compared to the corridors before. Around the corner, there was chain-link fence that surrounded metallic boxes that is labelled as "Emergency Survival Supplies." And in the other corner of the room wielded what appeared to be a Laptop attached to a portable generator as it sat collecting dust above a simple wooden table.

However, what left him flabbergasted was literally in front of him. On the far corner of the room was two battered and beaten metal doors that apparently crashed onto the wall ahead. And judging from the skid marks left on the floor from the entryway and the location of the doors, the doors were probably launched with a tremendous amount of force that caused such an impact ahead.

A hint of what probably occurred has sparked in front of him. The light is faint and very dim. And the source was under the smashed doors.

Bestinslot sauntered forward to the device to get a closer inspection. When he got close to the machine, he eyed the debris of what he believes are from the machine. He kneeled down to the machine to have, amazingly, most of its body intact. The majority of the machine was circular in shape and had some sort of attachments to its body. Possibly, it could be the broken parts of its mode of movement. At the center of its circular body was a rotating yet cracked camera lens. It still retain some of its original white frame but some sections of its shine was just merely replaced with orangey-brown rust.

Bestinslot picked up the device to inspect on what it does.

_Are you a camera? Maybe be a drone._

He fiddled with the machine until he accidentally activated a button from its underbelly. From there, a portion of its top popped off and revealed a CD-ROM. The fact that the CD-ROM appeared to not receive any damage even for the state its vessel.

"Woah." He gasped. "Maybe I could find out whatever happened to this place."

He grasped the CD-ROM from the machine and sauntered to the laptop. He checked the portable generator if it has any juice left. He flicked a switch from the generator and waited for a few seconds. Ultimately the generator sparked to life, partially at least. It hissed softly, it seemed to be in its last breaths before shutting down.

_I better be quick then._

He flipped the laptop to open up and turned it on. As soon as he gained the chance, he activated the Disk placement and open up and application to view the information in the CD-ROM. And thus, the videos the machine has collected in its time flashed in the screen. He clicked on the first video and waited for the video to be viewed.

**Author's Notes: This story is not dead guys! Just school is slowly killing it. Hopefully I can finish the story this summer. This I swear it.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: A-S.P.A.T**

* * *

**February 19, XXXX **

**17 Years Ago …**

The video has switched on with little interference with the screen or sound. A bit of static here and there. Otherwise, the video is quite clean and unaltered.

The screen has initially viewed possibly a middle-aged, African male that is probably in his early thirties. His golden-colored hair slick and long with a few split-ends in some areas. And his pumpkin-colored eyes teemed with splendor and accomplishment. He sported a growing beard that slightly covers his chin. The man bore a very slim head with a few wrinkles on his forehead. There was black smudges of dirt or grime on the man's right cheek. From what the video showed, the man wore what appears to be onyx-colored shoulder pads. And he also bore an equally colored bullet vest with a rectangular radio strapped to the chest area. From under that vest is probably a midnight blue colored polo judging from the color.

He raised his fist into the air and exclaimed jovially, "Yes! Yes! I did it." From the sound of his accent, he is an Englishman with a deep voice.

The camera seemed to pan downwards away from the man's face and onto the floor. At the sides of the camera lens were spider-like metallic legs before it. The camera soon began to spin throughout the room as if it was surveying the area.

The room was clearly brightly lit by the rays of the sun from up the roof and the gray concrete walls. Tables and counters that held or bore all sorts of machinery and tools probably gave away that the room was probably a forgery or mechanical repair facility.

The man soon spoke softly to himself, "Alright, time to test the Tracking Beacons." He barked out, "A-S.P.A.T! Command Code: 5. Locate and follow Tracking Beacon 1."

As soon as "Tracking Beacon 1" was ordered, the view shifted quickly to the right and began to proceed to the counter hastily. It climbed onto one of the metal counters with ease and stared at blinking blue light in the middle of it. The source of the blue light appears to be some sort of mechanized chip or device.

"Sweet. It worked." The young male stated. "Alright, Command Code: 3. Cease previous command." He spoke. "Command Code: 1. Locate and follow Beacon Home."

The camera then panned toward the man. A bright light has shone behind him, indicating that there the morning or noon is present. However, the light was blocked by a shadow. The camera is only looking at the chest of the man so whoever or whatever is blocking the light cannot be seen.

Soon, a new voice sprouted to be part of the scene. "Oh wow. You actually got that old thing working." The voice was female with a slight Swedish accent.

The man turned towards the woman behind him. All one can see is his back is the bullet-proof vest with, presumably a small symbol of a half skull, half flesh on the center of the ballistic armor.

"Oh. Thank you Professor Verall." The man gratefully stated with pride. "The _Automated-Surveillance. Prototype. for All Terrain_ is fully functional."

"So how did you do it?" The woman, presumably Professor Verall, asked.

"If I tell you, it would take nearly the day." He answered. "But long story short, I made the needed adjustments to the initial schematics of the aquatic variant, A-S.P.O.T, to make its land-based equivalent. Now we can be able to examine the creatures and animals much easier now."

Professor Verall sighed at the statement. "Yeah. Woo." Dullness plagued her words.

"What's wrong?"

"It's fine. Nothing is wrong." She stated.

"Really now." He light-heartedly asked. "C'mon, I know you, you would be stoked having a better chance to examine your creatures with more ease now."

"I would." Her tone did not waver.

"Seriously though, tell me." He spoke with concern.

She exhaled, "It is just this job."

He quizzically questioned, "Really? I thought you love this job."

She groaned, "I do. I really do." She proceeded onward, "It is just that the funding is currently being used for purposes that is not aligned with my intentions. Turning the original designations of my technology to something else entirely." She expelled a slight burst of anger. "For a purpose so ridiculous and stupid."

"Yeah. Says the one who made this entire thing happen because of a bacterium you found in a petri dish."

"Hey! You love Swimmy!" She defended herself.

"Fair point." The man agreed. "Doesn't change the fact that the reason you made the vats was to speed up the size and evolution of the bacterium."

"Swimmy has done nothing wrong ever since his artificial maturation." She barked. "Regardless, later on, the culture vats were for research purposes to understand the life 65 million years ago and maybe a bit of gene-splicing and altercations to create new life."

"Yes, because reviving and revolutionizing the Dodo bird was so important." He joked. "By the way, I still have some of the burn marks."

"I wasn't at that island so I wouldn't know much about it. All I know the sector there was ran by scientists favored by our employers. Twisting the creatures to produce the most violent of beings with lack of safety." She said with a bored tone, "The facilities and experiments here are much more bearable and, unlike those dead idiots over there, are treated with respect."

He laughed, "Yup. I like this place a lot more than there. I like how most of the scientists here relatively treat the creatures as their own children." Soon, his tone changed more serious. "Speaking of children, how is the child?"

"Child?" She stated once more as if she wants to grasp the concept. Professor Verall exhaled a deep sigh and spoke, "Why do you ask?"

He gave a scoff of disgust at the question. "C'mon, are you serious? She is something you or the other scientists have never dealt with. Much less even had a concept of doing."

"Well yeah. That is pretty obvious." She snapped at him. "Using samples of brain, skin, organ, and muscle tissues from our own scientists to increase the cognitive and structural development to be similar as that of a human is beyond anything that we have originally dealt with. Or even what the initial uses of the culture vats were for."

"You haven't answered my question." He calmly spoke.

"Cornelius … I will say it to you because you're a friend and brother for us all initial scientists and researchers." Professor Verall exhaled once more. A small and light hand has been placed on the man's shoulder. "Only if you never discuss this to your superiors of this unofficial experimentation? You know despite, your high rank in the company."

"I promise to the day my bones are turned to dust." He voiced with honor in his tone. "I won't betray you guys."

"Good."

"So tell me." He sincerely demanded. "I haven't seen the lass for a while."

"To be honest, she would be the perfect product our employers are looking for." She expressed in a worried tongue. "The child is capable of problem solving that is terrifyingly similar to a human child. And maybe even more complex situations if she were to mature. She is extremely durable despite her small stature and physical disabilities."

"Yeah." He agreed. "I meant after that Gallimimus Stampede, when the so called 'native and supernatural inhabitants' began attacking the Botanical and Agricultural Research/Supply facility. Which provoked the animals to social unrest and scatter like crazy."

"Oh, you read about the _official _report then." She stated with worry. Her frail and lame arms were broken during the scuffle. They're useless now. Well, actually more useless than ever."

"I didn't know. I was designated to another laboratory in this island before I was notified about what had happened." He expressed his concern.

"It is alright." The doctor assured his conscience. "But sadly, we had to amputate her since the medical facility was too far away and that the damages were extremely severe."

"Oh dear lord." He gasped.

"Don't worry now. Amazingly, she is currently quite happy and healthy after that ordeal." She assured him once more. "You can thank your sister, Doctor Alansa Granti for her recovery."

"Ah, yes my little sister." He spoke with admiration. Cornelius turned his head and made a quick glance back to the camera or A-S.P.A.T. He then returned to Professor Verall in front of him. "Maybe I can do something for her kid."

"What do you mean?"

He shifted his head and stared at A-S.P.A.T. once more. "I am quite specialized in the field of machinery, and biology."

"Your point is?"

"I could possibly whip something up for the little Tyrannosaurus for her to gain the ability to touch and hold things again."

"Really? I don't think that w-"

_**Corrupt/Missing Data … Unreadable. **_

_**Switching to the closest readable data.**_

* * *

**August 27, XXXX**

**6 Years Ago … **

The camera switches to a more darkened point of view. And very rocky as well. It appears to be inside a cave or a natural tunnel of some sort. The area has been reasonably lit with cylindrical yellow lights between the crevices of the stony ceiling and walls.

"A-S.P.A.T. Command Code: 1. Locate and follow Beacon Home." A familiar voice spoke.

The camera then panned towards to the left of the tunnel to aim on an older Cornelius with the security guard attire from before. Between the man's arms was an assault rifle of sorts. The camera can also view a couple of figures as well. They were all were facing to the camera or A-S.P.A.T.

There was a young man who bore the same security attire like Cornelius. The person was probably. His hair bistre brown hair was slick and short with a bit a mess in some areas. The young man wore a large visor so it wasn't possible to discern his eyes or the forehead. Still his, under portion of his face revealed he was of European ancestry due to the light and healthy pink hue of his skin. But below the wide smile of the young lad was the growth of the Billy Goat beard. The man also wielded a rifle of sorts.

Besides the security guards was an equally young Caucasian woman. She had her hair in that of a ponytail that ran all the way down to the center of her back. Maybe even more so. Her eyes were of a blue haze but wore the shine of glamour and splendid happiness. Before her eyes was a pair of small frame rectangular glasses dyed with royal purple. She was in a khaki small jacket that lasts to her waist with two pockets on the chest area and donned a simple white shirt underneath the jacket. She has a leather belt that holstered what appears to be a small pistol. Below her waist was a dirty long jeans that has seen some wear and tear in its life.

The woman praised Cornelius with a slight high-pitched Swedish accent. "Wow! Mr. Granti, that's amazing! I never knew you were also specialized with robotics."

Cornelius smirked at her compliment. "Thank you Dr. Sol. However a friend of mine is the one made the schematics for her variant of her aquatic scouting droid." He notified her. "I just merely added some attachments for the machine to be effective in terrestrial mobility."

The young man interrupted their conversation, "Oh dude! You have to show me how to make more of these." He said in a cheerful English tone.

Cornelius laughed heartedly, "Maybe later Agent Beaver."

He moaned in slight disappointment. "Oh man. I want one of these droids. They are cute honestly."

Cornelius gave the youngster an understanding grin. He reached onto one of his back pockets from his pants and pulled out a small ledger. "This notepad here is a list of all the Command Codes to tell A-S.P.A.T what to do."

"Jesus! Really?!" He exclaimed in delight.

"Yup, I don't need it anymore. I already memorized the Command Codes at this point and time."

"Thank you sir."

The girl interjected their little banter. "Hey, I know this maybe rude, we still have a job to do."

"Oh sorry." The men simultaneously apologized and bowed for forgiveness.

"You guys don't have to do that." She gave an embarrassed smile. "C'mon, let us go meet with the other scientists ahead."

It took about an hour or so until the camera has spotted interesting in the tunnel. It seemed to be the end of the tunnel as there was only wall of stone before them. At the walls of the tunnel's end were hastily placed metal tables or crates of equipment. There was also three new people at the end of the cavernous road. Before them was a woman in a similar attire to Dr. Sol. She was facing away from the camera but the sight of her body was obvious. Her auburn hair was not too far away from her shoulders. Her skin was of white with a healthy pink as well as Agent Beaver. And judging the dirt and grime on her body, it appeared she was in this cave and doing some extensive physical work. She was talking with two other scientists about something that the device was unable to record.

One of them was a short white male with a five o- clock shadow of a beard. His hair was of a bleached blonde and his eyes were a mixture of gray and blue. He adorned an opened light red jacket with a navy blue shirt underneath it. Alas, the color maybe tarnished by the dust and sand on the cloth. The man also wore khaki pants that plagued with dirt and grime as well. The man looks not that young but not that old either. Possibly in his early forties or so.

Beside the man was a taller woman. Her complexion is very caramel like with a bit of, surprisingly, dirt and grime. Her scarlet hair was wavy and has covered her right eye. Her eyes were oddly were sharp and wielded an indigo coloring on the pupils. She wore a simple red ascot around her neck with no distinct design to it. And unlike the other scientists, she donned a long navy blue polo over a grimy white shirt. Her jeans was grey and had definitely had seen the last of its days. And just like the other male in the room, is probably in her early forties with a few wrinkles here and there.

Cornelius greeted the scarlet woman with joy. "Hey, sister."

The woman faced forward and exclaimed, "Cornelius!" She launched at him with a hug.

"My, oh my. It has been what … 2 years since we last seen each other." He hugged back

"It really great to see you again." She sniffled.

Cornelius made a devilish smirk. "Oh come now. Since when did we Grantis ever cry?"

She punched him lightly in the stomach and Cornelius made a brief sound of pain.

The other woman turned to the small reunion and made a brief grin of relief of her pink and thin lips. Her eyes were of a dark brown that one may mistake it for the blackness of the dark. She seemed to be in her late forties as the wrinkles are quite prominent on her.

She turned her eyes to the young adults behind Cornelius and asked, "And who may our new guests be?" In a deep tone and a Swedish accent.

Dr. Sol answered first with a hint of soldier in her, "I am Doctor Saga Sol. I was hired by the Phoenix Company to assist in the biological research and engineering of Sector M. And I am specifically designated to be a replacement assistant for Professor Verall after the promotion for her previous assistant."

"Oh good. Another Swede. Good to meet ya."

"Thank you Ms. -" Dr. Sol attempt to her say her gratitude to the woman.

The other woman laughed, "No need for the formalities. I am Professor Saloo Verall."

"Professor Verall!" Dr. Sol exclaimed. "You're the famous Professor who made all this happen." Dr. Sol soon latched her palms onto Professor Verall's palms and shook it vigorously. "I am a big fan of your work ma'am."

"Aha." Professor Verall embarrassingly agreed. She soon eyed at the young lad with the security flak jacket. "And you are?"

"Oh … sorry. I am Agent Beaver. Or you can call me James."

"Nice to meet you James." She welcomed him. "What is your profession?"

"I am supposed to be one of the new security forces stationed at Sector M."

"I see." She calmly breathed.

The man with the red jacket soon interjected the conversation in the room with, "Look guys, I know this is great and all, but I need to go back to my daughter soon."

"Wait. You left her alone?" Cornelius raised his voice in anger.

"She is not alone. She has a Phoenix Security Team watching her." He defended himself. "I know she is your niece and she is also my daughter. But those bastards from Phoenix Company want to keep her away from us until we have finished in having excellent progress in our researches for the month."

Cornelius exhaled in rage, "I am sorry for my outburst Elliot."

"It's fine." He responded. "Just … damn those bastards!"

Professor Verall attempted to calm him down, "It is alright to be angry. But the true blame should be on Jack."

"Jack ma'am?" Dr. Sol questioned.

"Just an ass for Phoenix Company and my former assistant who told our employers of the Granti and Sattler's unofficial _child_." The Professor replied. "And because of him, we have to expend our time and resources on constructing similar _children_ for the company to use in masse."

"That's horrible." Dr. Sol stammered. "Why doesn't the UN or some government do something about this immorality?"

"Either they don't know or they don't care?" Dr. Granti informed. "Regardless, we are wasting our time talking. We just have to appease them enough so we can see my daughter again freely."

"Agreed." Cornelius commented. "We have to stay on our good side so they won't have any leverage against us."

Professor Verall soon ordered, "All scientists, take a pickaxe!"

James soon made an inquisition, "Woah, don't you guys have excavation teams for that?"

Elliot answered him with a grin, "Let's just say the company has lost the funding to pay the excavation teams after a few months ago. Besides, we don't mind to do some of the dirty work. It is quite a breath of fresh air compared to being in the labs all the time."

Professor Verall ordered once more, "A-S.P.A.T. Command Code: 23. Lights.

After brief click within the machine's mechanisms, a bright white light soon emitted on top of the camera. It covered large enough to cover half the wall of stone before them.

"Good." Dr. Granti remarked as she stabbed the pick into the stone, making a sharp clang on stone.

**5 minutes later …**

"Hey guys! I think I found something." Dr. Sol informed.

"What is it?" Dr. Verall asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. But I think I think we are digging to a cave with some florescent gems inside."

"What?" Elliot interjected in disbelief.

"I am serious, I think I see some light here." She pointed at her excavation section. "It is faint, but I don't think purple lights do not naturally occur in the dark."

"Say what?" Alansa questioned as well.

Professor Verall shouted, "Just dig in. See what she says is true or not."

**After another 5 minutes …**

The entire wall before them is destroyed and ahead of the group was something unimaginable. It was a rectangular structure that seem to be built by carefully carved cubes of stone. The rectangular structure emitted field inside its perimeter of some sort that produced purple light. The field is opaque but one can still see the behind of the rectangular structure which was another tunnel or passageway that is not tampered by human hands.

Professor Verall approached the structure, unaverred by the oddity of the sight. The rest of the group followed suit with caution in their footsteps. Professor Verall stood literally a meter away from the structure, possibly attempting to uncover the purpose of the structure.

"Ma'am. I think it is best not to be near that thing." Dr. Sol warned.

"Nothing happened yet. You d-" Professor Verall began to ease her new assistant.

However, she was interrupted as clawed pink hand from the purple field reached out and latched onto her throat. Everyone gasped at the sudden interruption. Agent Beaver and Cornelius aimed their rifles to the field but did not fire any bullets. Soon after, the hand pulled the Professor inside the field.

The scientists checked behind the structure in hopes she merely phased through the field. Alas, they were wrong as the esteemed Professor was nowhere to be found.

Agent Beaver shouted in confusion, "What the bloody hell was that?!"

Cornelius was also galvanized and confused in the current situation as his face clearly shows such emotions. "I have no idea."

"Professor! Are you in there?!" Dr. Sol hollered fruitlessly.

_Silence_

Elliot asked to the nothing, "What are we gonna do now? We have to save her!"

Out of nowhere in the moment, a body flung out of the field. The body was horrid in sight as its pink flesh was merely torn away in rotten green or devilishly black. Bones can be seen protruding out of the stomach of the creature. Its feet was very bear like in terms of paw design but mostly remain bare from fur or hair And its face, the most inhuman of it all, being a face similar to a pig with its face all distorted due to rot or decomposition. Alansa Granti was nearly about to gag at the horrid sight.

Elliot commented, "Ugh! That reeks. What is it?"

The rotten corpse soon lifts its head to the group and was going to get up. However, before it even stood up, it made a squeal of pain and slumped its cranium to the floor. On top the dead again corpse was a golden blade lodged onto its back.

Eventually, Professor Verall popped out of the field and landed on her feet. She looked as if she went through a marathon with her excavation clothes on. She was drenched in sweat and was panting heavily and rapidly.

"What happened to you?" Cornelius questioned with worry in his tongue.

"Just run." She answered.

"Say what?" James responded.

"RUN!" She yelled.

Ultimately, they would all understand. The field began revealing more and more heinous and vile creatures like the pig humanoid. They wielded all sorts of noble like golden blades, maces, and spears despite their hellish look.

"Shite!" Cornelius cursed. "Beaver! Open fire!"

The two gunman sprayed bullets at the structure and field. And one by one, the bodies seem to pile However, their efforts are fruitless as the number of the monstrosities never seemed to end.

"I don't think they're gonna stop." Beaver commented. "Everyone! Evacuate the site."

"A-.S.P.A.T! Command Code: 10. Locate and track Tracking Beacon 4." Cornelius commanded A-S.P.A.T.

The camera soon panned out of the battle and faced towards the fleeing Dr. Sol.

"Professor! Get ou-"

_**Corrupt/Missing Data … Unreadable**_

_**Switching to the closest readable data.**_

* * *

**March 28, XXXX**

**3 years ago …**

Out of all the available footage, this one was the were in a blur or were covered by static. And the sound was extremely distorted. There were sounds of gunfire resounding in the video. What one can make out of the footage appeared to be a darken room. Possibly, the same room Bestinslot is in. Only the light sources available was flashing red lights from the corner of the room.

Out of the frame was a woman in a light Swedish screaming into something, possibly a radio. It was bad just as the gunfire from wherever the shots were fired. Eventually, the video became at least understandable and the voices became somewhat clear.

"Beaver!" It was Dr. Sol. "Listen, I had A-S.P.A.T locate the one of the escaped experiments. The Spinosaurus is on a rampage right now and is killing the security teams near the Velociraptor Containment zone. I had to return A-S.P.A.T to my position to avoid its damage from the carnivore"

"Doctor Sol!" A random guardsman hollered. "Experiment S-021 is heading towards this safety bunker."

"What?! Shit." She cursed. "I am going to need you to subdue the creature."

Gunfire can be heard getting closer to her position. Another guardsman yelled, "Crap! The bastard isn't going down. Fall back!"

"Damn it." Dr. Sol cursed. She sauntered back to the camera's view.

Dr. Sol was beside the entryway of the room. She flipped a table over and pulled out an odd looking pistol from her pocket. She aimed the firearm towards the metallic doors that is before the camera. Unexpectedly, the metallic doors were being bashed in. The large indentations on the doors similar to the ones behind him reveal that this was the place where the assault occurred.

The doctor ordered A-S.P.O.T, "Command Code: 34. Strobe Light"

The lights that emitted from the top of the camera began to flash at such speed. Such rapid flashes could possibly induce epilepsy or a massive headache. Either way, the video was just impossible to even watch at all. Eventually, a massive boom of metal clashing and slashing on metal resounded in the room. And the last sight before the ended was metal doors launching towards the camera.

**Author's Notes: Hello everyone. I just want this to be a thank you gift for people I greatly appreciate. I am pretty sure some of these characters would make sense to someone. Maybe a reference to a previous or current playthrough. And the reason for Dr. Sol, I just wanted an excuse to use the word Sol. Honestly, I believe this chapter is hint so many references from my Youtubers or Jurassic Park (you know which characters get their inspiration from name-wise). I wanted to also thank Salooverall for her assistance in the Fnafiction for the allowance of my use of her Minecraft designs in Spore. Also, I made a character for her because I enjoyed her playthroughs of Spore and thus sparked several inspirations from her playthroughs. I also incorporated the Gaming Beaver (even though in this story he is was never a Youtuber to begin with) into this story as well. Mostly so I can set up a funny situation between him and B.I.S.**

**Also, I wanted to revive A.S.P.O.T. If anyone recall B.I.S's playthrough of Farsky, he had asked for a name for his little robot storage unit that follows him around. In the end, the bot was called W.A.L.L-E #2. But my suggestion was A.S.P.O.T**

**Automated**

**Surveillance **

**Prototype**

**for Oceanic **

**Terrain**

_**C'mon, though, it was at least original compared to W.A.L.L-E #2**_

**Alas, the name was left to rot in the dead seas. So to commemorate the name of the unborn A.S.P.O.T, I gave it a terrestrial bound cousin, A-S.P.A.T. **

**This won't be the last of my reference chapters. But it may be the end of these reference chapters for this story. Of course the prequel for the sequel and the sequel itself are going to have their references.**


	19. The Behemoth

**Chapter 19: The Behemoth**

"Well. That's the end of that malarkey." Bestinslot commented. "So, the thing that sacked this safe room or bunker was a Spinosaurus."

_But, clearly a real Spinosaurus wouldn't fit through that man-size hole. Unless …_

He pondered on the thought for a while until seconds later where he just merely concluded it as a human / dinosaur hybrid. He turned his to the opposite side of the room. However, he noticed a dark hooded figure looming on the entryway. Its head bowing down to aim straight to the floor.

"Please tell me you're a friendly chap." He demanded with sarcasm in his tongue.

But the expected outcome is true. The hooded figure leered its skeletal head in front of the Englishman. It revealed a wooden bow and a deathly arrow like the one before. The Death's Archer aimed its bow straight onto the Englishman's head. Bestinslot dodged out of its sight by rolling to his left. It fired the arrow with immense speed and power but destroyed the computer instead. The living man dashed forward towards the monstrosity and slashed the rib cage of the creature, tearing away the bits of clothing near the chest region. The archer staggered by the hit but soon returned to firing stance once more and aimed another arrow at the man. He followed up his attack by dashing towards the monster in a zig-zag formation and then stabbing the monster straight into the vertebrae region of the archer. The blade was launched deep into the bone and to the other side of the vertebrae. And with this, Bestinslot shifted his blade upwards to unleash the final blow of slashing upwards to remove the brittle cranium and the neck together.

The skull was lifted all the way to the ceiling until a sudden crack of bone reached the steel surface from up top. Ultimately, the skull had landed on the steel floor, cracking the skull entirely, but never truly breaking it. The rest of the skeletal soon fell onto its knees and onto the floor.

"Damn. I left door open didn't I?"

Bestinslot hopped over the skeleton's remaining remains and ventured out of the facility. While he was still reaching he was heading towards the exit, there was undoubtedly ominous sounds resounding at the entryway. He soon ran towards the end of the corridor and to the outside world.

He ran up the metal stairway to be greeted by the luminous and only light of the moon. He also spotted a couple of common yet infamous ghouls.

They were merely a few meters away from Bestinslot and were hobbling at a slow yet steady pace. These ghouls do not bore any clothing similar to the cultural background of the village, they were too modern. Yet they, appear to be fresh as there was a slight pink in whatever pale gray body they have. And the ghouls donned clothing fitting for anyone who are going on a vacation.

"Poor bastards." He whispered. "You guys were on the same ship weren't you?"

They stick their arms out to grab hold of the man, even though he was still quite a distance away from him. However, the monsters was being coy of their intelligence. One of the living corpses made a full on sprint and soon lunged its entire body towards Bestinslot. Luckily for the Englishman, he managed to step out of the way quickly enough to escape its rotting grasps. The ghoul fell through the entryway and tumbled down to the stairs. Metal and flesh clashed horribly and with a prominent echo, signifying that such a fall was very consequential.

The groans of the ghoul still echoed below the stairway. Bestinslot then dashed to the door's button and smashed it with the close fist. The door closed shut, locking the demented being to assure himself it won't be a future hindrance. He turned towards the other ghoul, his blade at the ready for battle. The monster kept its usual and sluggish hobble compared to its undead compatriot.

Rather than accepting a fight to the corner, Bestinslot made the first move. He lunged the Schiavona forward straight to the ghoul's chest. The blade's tip punctured to the rotting flesh and knocked the ghoul a few steps farther away from him. Bestinslot retracted his Schiavona from the body and made a step forward and made a simple kick to the right kneecap of the ghoul. The ghoul hastily dropped to the grassy ground. It still wriggled with what life it has. Before it can pick itself back up from its fall, Bestinslot impaled the brain of the ghoul with his sword. Thus, the undead monster can no longer stand.

He stepped away from the body and remarked, "Well. That was an easy fight." However, death still reeked from the body and is piercing his sense. "Oh god. That's horrible." He attempted to block the scent by covering his mouth and nose with his arm.

However, the fight was far from over. To the walls before him, a huge slam against the thick stone walls occurred. It shook the ground and the foundation of the structure, leaving major cracks on the walls.

"What the hell is it now?" He cursed.

And it was answered to him. The stone wall was demolished immediately soon after and the culprit loomed over the debris and the destruction. It was quite big and tall, probably about the size of 3 meters from top to bottom. It has two heads, one of which stood upright while the other head is slumping its weight on its shoulder. Each head was born with one eye, each having its pupils be colored in a cerulean dye. All the heads bore large fangs that stood upright from the bottom jaw. Its body hunched over so much that it left its upper spinal cord revealing without turning its back against Bestinslot. It bore a horrid figure of a belly so swelled up that it was fortunately enough to hide its privates. Even though the creature is fat, it has prominent muscle structures on its arms and legs, signifying the creature is strong.

The monstrosity leered both of its corneas towards the Englishman. It pointed one its clawed fingers to him, possibly challenging him to a fight or telling him that he is going to die. The massive creature soon dashed towards him, shaking the ground slightly with each step it made.

He yelled in anger, "Are you serious right now?!"

Bestinslot rolled to his left to dodge the monstrous sprint. As he rolled away from the rampaging monster, the monster crashed onto the entryway of the shelter. The impact destroyed the entrance and the walls surrounding it, leaving nothing but debris and broken stone. Luckily for Bestinslot, this creature is just as dumb as the ghouls.

The monster fell down on its buttocks and lay there on the ground dazed and confused.

"Easy." He commented with a smile.

Bestinslot rushed to the beast's side and leapt onto the body of the creature. From a closer perspective to the creature, it bore marks of burns and slashes on its body. Possibly it has gone through a lot fighting in its lifetime. Still, Bestinslot persevered onward to the upright creature's head. As soon as he was standing over the beating chest of the creature, he prepared his sword to impale the monster's upright head.

Bestinslot lifted his blade up into the air and stabbed the creature's jugular with steel.

_Gotcha! _

However, his victory was merely a fallacy from his own mind. The monster rocked on the floor hastily and horridly after his slight impalement. Bestinslot noticed one of its hands inching closer to his position. He removed the blade from the throat and leapt off the monster's chest to avoid its grip. He rolled onto the grassy floor and immediately sprinted behind a pile of crates untouched by the carnage. Bestinslot made a few quick few breaths to regain his air and thinking.

_Damn! I am pretty sure I stabbed it where it should kill most humanoid things._

He peered around the corner of his cover to view the hulking beast to rise back up on its feet. Its pupils, even the one that resided in a sloppy cranium, were scanning the area, looking for the Englishman. Its mouth drooled with slobber and eyes teemed with rage in its pupils. Possibly wishing to have a taste of his flesh for dinner and for vengeance.

Bestinslot hid back behind the crates to avoid its gaze. He began planning on how to deal with the creature.

_Okay. Big and stupid monster thing is trying to kill me. The thing can destroy stone walls but is clumsy. I can't stab its neck because it won't do anything to it apparently. So maybe its skin has thick armor or thick tissue. So attacking anywhere else may end up me being in a fool's end. However, no matter how difficult it may be, evolution and video games have taught me that nothing physical in this world is omnipotent or invincible. There is always a weakness of some sort in everything. _

He leaned his head to the edge of crates to find disturbing news. The creature is walking towards his cover, and its eyes are totally fixated on his own eyes.

"Oh crap." He cursed.

Suddenly, his crate cover was completely decimated with one swoop of the monster's potent arm. Splinters and debris from the crates flew everywhere. Bestinslot shielded his face from the projectiles with his arms. Between his forearms, a shiver run across his spine as he noticed that the creature has all of its contracted eyes staring him down with pure desire. A desire that is not aligned with his. The scarred hand of the beast soon reached towards his position to grab hold of him.

"Oh screw you!" He insulted the beast, in whatever hopes that can discourage the monster. Bestinslot rolled away from its grip once more dashed for the next available cover for him. The gigantic tree in the middle of courtyard would provide the closest and effective cover that would give him the time he requires. The beast followed suit and pursued his scattering prey.

Each step shook the ground, simulating a mini-earthquake of sorts. And such tremors had made sprinting for him difficult as he end up tripping his steps on the quaking earth. The quakes even tumbled and topple piles of supply of crates. Fortunately, earth shattering measures were not enough to deter his sprint to relative safety.

Bestinslot dashed and rolled between the rooted legs of the tree and hid inside the opening just before the monster crashed its palms on the grassy and stony floor of the courtyard to end him. The opening between the roots were large of him to go through with ease. And the opening was amazingly thin enough to ward off the beast's grasp.

"Holy crap!" He yelled in short victory. "I cannot believe I did it."

_Okay. I got away from the thing. What do I do now?_

Bestinslot made a quick survey in his immediate area. His cover was strangely lit well enough for him to see due to the shreds of light between the thin slits of the roots from the moon. The hollow filling between the tree roots was actually more spacious that he previously thought of. Above his head was strange clean dome of organic wood. Nonetheless, whatever hopes he attempted to find in this hollow tree would be nothing but a fallacy.

_Damn it. What the hell am I gonna do now?! There is only one opening in this tree. And that will only lead me to become dinner for the bastard. Still, I guess I can wait it out and let him be bored. But what about water for the kids? And for Annie. _

Eventually, he felt more tremors erupting from the ground. And the tree. The tree shook as much as the floor beneath him. Dirt and dust from the wooden dome above him fell down to meet the floor beneath him. And outside the hollow shelter are sounds of heavy grunting wood being impacted by a blunt object. Such an assault has toppled him over to his knees.

He shook his fist to the source of the assaults and raged, "Persistent bastard are ya!"

The Dinosaur Father sighed at his useless endeavor to yell. He sat on the floor and pondered on how to deal with this situation. Still, the assaults on his tree shelter were relentless and nearly without stops.

"Damn, if this persists, the tree will be toppled over and I'll …" He spoke with himself.

* * *

**A few moments later … **

He realized that end is near for him. Still, he won't give up his life without an act of survival. He turned to face the large opening. His best hope that he can outrun the behemoth of a brute. If not, he hopes that he can find its weakness very soon and exploit it. He stretched his legs and exhaled his breath slowly, ready to face fate as it sees fit. With the Schiavona at his hands, he made dashed outside of the tree's hollow shelter.

The light of moon enveloped him which revealed his position to the monster. He turned left and head towards another pile of crates take cover from the beast. But the beast still can caught up to him regardless of his head start. It swung its arm downward to crush the Englishman into a bloody mess. He dodged its attack by rolling forward away from its attack area.

"Oh bloody hell!" He yelled in anger.

He turned his direction towards the creature and dashed towards the monster. He is going on the offensive, or at least he thought he was. He went under the monster's enormous belly and slid between its legs. Under the creature's legs, he eyed the most disturbing sight of his life.

"Oh dear lord." He nearly barfed.

He ran away from the creature and hid behind a nearby stacked pile of crates.

"Okay." He mumbled to himself. _That will scar my mind forever. But I think I found a weakness._

He peered behind his cover and viewed the monster in relative safety. The creature is agitated and in disarray. This time it was swinging its arms impatiently and ransacking the area around it. Crates were smashed to bits again from its outrage.

_Man there are a lot more crates than I imagined._ He commented in his mind. "Okay, I got one chance."

He climbed and vaulted over his cover pile and raced towards the monster one more time. The monster saw his approach, but by the time he saw the Englishman, he was already a few meters from its feet. The behemoth raised its foot to kick the man away. Bestinslot dodged to his left and avoided the attack. He leapt onto the opposing leg and flipped his sword to the reverse grip used his blade to impale steel on its flesh. He jabbed the sword onto its flesh, and like he hypothesized, the blade didn't puncture far enough. He gripped onto the entire leg to hold onto from the frenzied beast. He soon saw the beast's weakness very clear

He went back to the regular grip with his blade From his heightened height, he made and overhead slash at the weakness of the monster. Orange blood spurted all over that ended up staining his blade and clothes in the goo.

The creature winced and growled in pain as it latches its claws onto its wound. It fell onto its knees and writhed in pain. Bestinslot ran away from the immobilized creature to take in some breath.

He faced the monster as he was gasping for breath, "I know it hurts. And it sucks." He soon warned the monster, "But that's what you get for trying to kill me."

The limping head faced the man despite its deformed movement. Its pupil minimized to nothing but a marble and oozed out a violent atmosphere in the area. The monster raised back to its knees and prepared its left arm back for a tremendous swing.

Bestinslot had no time to react fast enough to move out of the way of the monster's attack. The giant palm of the creature was just meters away from him

All the man can do in his short time was speak the words, "Oh shit."

He flinched and shut his eyes in shock. He shielded his face with his arms from his fate even though it won't let him escape his death.

A hot liquid plastered and sprayed all over the side of the body. The monster bellowed loudly that it echoed throughout his ears. Strong scent of rusty iron enveloped him and his entire body.

A voice yelled to his right side, "Dad. Get out of the way!"

He recognized the voice indefinitely. His knight in shining armor with a skull for a hand. "Lyddie!"

She kept her ground against the might of the monster. And there has been a significant damage to the beast's hand as couple of the horns of the girl impaled through it. Still she struggled to withstand on the monster's strength.

"Get out of the way now!" Lyddie barked.

Bestinslot snickered, "Alright, got it." And he ran away from the scene and into the fray.

From there, he noticed his Deinonychus son leapt onto Lyddie's shoulders and latched his claws onto the thick hide of the brute. He soon picked himself up and ran up to the shoulders of the beast. The monster lifted its other arm and placed its palm on its shoulder and began brushing its entire arm. Dean, leapt into the air and latch onto the attack hand of the brute.

While back at the ground, Bestinslot was attempting to slash at the monster's weak point again. However, the incessant stomping of the beast's feet made such an approach impossible. However, another child has come by for his fortune.

The Queen was at a made sprint and has pummeled her metallic shoulders onto the right leg of the monster. Because of the abrupt shove, the creature plummeted its body to the floor. It caught itself midway using its hand with Dean on it. It creature vibrated with pain and shock that it nearly removed Dean from its wrist. Dean stabbed his claws deep into the thick hide of the creature. However, the skin repelled the attack and merely left Dean to plummet to the ground.

"Damn it." He cursed.

The Dean landed on his back on the stony floor with a light thump and cough. He soon rolled away to and hid behind some of the rubble of the rampage. While the monster was on its knee, Lyddie knew she must act quickly. She gripped onto the frill of her shield and began to pull it vigorously. Eventually, the shield dislodged itself from the creature's palm. Blood tattered her hair and armor afterwards. The monster's freed hand was then closed to a fist and was plunging towards Lyddie's location. She stepped out of the way and soon eyed towards the monster's belly.

She pointed her horns at the belly and began charging into it, shield first. The monster was about to swing its fat arm to push Lyddie away from it.

"Listen, Queen." Bestinslot remarked.

"What?"

"Knock down the other leg if you can." He ordered.

"Wha-" She questioned. However, she understood there is no time to debate it.

She formed her metallic palms into raging fists and began striking the monster's kneecaps to bring the creature down. Each punch resulting the resounding of shattered bones and tissue. After a couple of hits, the behemoth's leg bended to its left, bringing its lower body closer to the ground.

Bestinslot dashed forward to the monster's weak point from below and hacked it away violently. The monster roared a deep howl and was about to reach in to grab Bestinslot. However, Lyddie made her successful charge. Her horns pierced through its thick armor covering its enormous belly. She applied more force against the creature that it was stumbling onto the floor.

Dean roared, "Best! Queen! It is going in down!"

The Queen and Bestinslot ran away from the toppling creature. When it landed, stone beneath it cracked from the force and weight of it all. And a small gust of sand and dirt burst through the family.

After the dust has blown through, Dean rushed to the upright head of the creature. Bestinslot and the Queen targeted the limping lame head. Both of the heads were making its last ditch attempt of defending itself through its snarls and gnawing at the air to scare the fighters away.

"We have to be quick or else it will use its arms again." Bestinslot warned the others

The Queen was not deterred by the monster's last forms of attack. Seemingly without fear, she gripped the jaws of the limping head with her bare metallic hands. The jaws struggled to close itself from her brute-like strength. Within a second's notice, she forcefully dislocated the jaws of the beast by merely extending her arms. Bestinslot continued the assault by repeatedly jabbing the Schiavona into the eye socket of the monster. More blood sprayed onto his clothes and stained the Schiavona after each thrusts. After, a few seconds of repeated impalement, the limping head, became permanently limp.

Dean could not forcefully eliminate the other head through strength alone. So instead, from the monster's beating chest. He sprang up into the air and flipped his body to the opposite direction to the head in mid-air. He landed onto the bald cranium of the creature and was safe from the slobbery maw of the behemoth. He then began tearing away the eye socket with his claws. The monster shook its head violently in hopes to brush the child away from attacking it further. Within a few moments of slashing away the cornea, it would appear the boy was digging into the brain of the beast. However he stopped, when the beast ceased to move its head anymore.

Lyddie removed her shield from the stomach of the monster and hopped onto the corpse of the monster. She walked over to Dean's location. She leaned her body forward over the dead and upright of the monster.

She shoved her hand into the empty space of the socket and questioned, "Dean? Are ya okay?"

Dean responded, "Mabuti ako."

"I'll take that as a yes then."

"I am hungry though. I haven't eaten for a while."

The Queen suggested, "Eat this behemoth. It is safe to eat really. I killed these before. Albeit, it would take longer on my own."

Dean, without question, started gnawing onto the wounds of the monster.

"A bit chunky and hard to chew. But it is good." He commented.

She sauntered to Dean and kneeled down beside him, "Hey. Let me have some of it too."

Her teeth managed to tear through the unbreakable thick hide of the monster like it was paper. Lyddie and Bestinslot walked away from the bloody feast to avoid vomiting.

Dean eyed Bestinslot and asked, "Hoy! Aren't you going to eat?"

"Dean. It's fine. I think I lost my appetite honestly."

Bestinslot made a quick scan through the entire area with a worried look on his face.

Eventually, he faced the Queen and asked, "Queen. Where is little Annie?"

Queen said nothing as she has pieces of flesh in her mouth. But she answered him with a simple point to the destroyed rubble caused by the monster when it entered the courtyard. Behind the debris is Annie chewing on a piece of branch.

"Oh thank the lord Raptor Jesus." He remarked with a relieved smile.

**Author's Note: I have to say, I am really ashamed off myself for this. This chapter was way overdue honestly. I can partially blame myself for being lazy. Then partially getting a fever during summer. I am so sorry for taking so long. I will try again to make these chapters come by more frequently. It is especially killing my other plans for this sequel. But then I got these random thoughts of how the sequel to this will end and its prequel. And I am just destroying my concentration honestly. I hate my inability to concentrate for long periods of time. Still strangely enough, I manage to pass most of my classes with high ranks. **


	20. The Alpha and Terri

**Chapter 20: The Alpha and Terri**

**Author's Note: Yeah I know. I put this first before the actual content. But I want to notify all my readers something. While browsing through the relatively old BIS videos, a person by the name of "Jan ledema" referred to a manga / Japanese comic book to BIS. The English variant of its name is "My Girlfriend is a T-Rex" or its Japanese title, "T-Rex na Kanojo". It is good read if you want to laugh a bit. It is not serious in the slightest but you can enjoy the visuals.**

**Some of it is NSFW content but does not reveal too much and is mostly clean. I want to refer to that story because it practically visualizes the characters of human / dinosaur hybrids. Mostly the design of the Dean's physical appearance as he is the one with most resemblance to characters there. So if you want a better visual idea what most of them would look like, go read that. However, the legs are still very humanoid in my story. The feet not so much.**

* * *

**The next morning …**

The morning light down on the family as they trekked through the forest once more. Bestinslot, wielding a pack full of supplies they had procured from the Courtyard crates, was very much tired beyond relief. His muscles ached from the constant motion ever since last night's debacle. He was exhausted beyond anything he has gone through in the past.

His children are faring quite well however. Lyddie walked alongside Bestinslot with a warm smile across her face. Dean scaled up trees surrounding the group with exuberant energy despite the dull look on his face. He was ahead of the group by a few meters but is within eye sight for the entire group. The Queen, like always has her face completely stowed behind her helmet. However, she did not bore her lethargic stances from yesterday. It was complete opposite as she stood tall and practically heroic as she sauntered to her destination. And Annie was snuggled and sleeping soundly in her cold and shiny arms.

Dean halted his advancements and warned his family and the Queen, "Hoy! I see something from up here."

Bestinslot questioned him with the strain of exhaustion in his voice, "What is it Dean?"

He squinted his eyes towards the distance before answering Bestinslot, "I see something like a herd or pack … they are on a steep hill. And pretty much a clear field surrounding that hill."

"What do they look like?"

"It is kind of hard to see them from here." Dean informed him. "Para silang mga ibon."

"And I have no idea what you said."

"Sorry. I think they look like birds. Actually pretty big birds from up here of it."

"Should we avoid them?" Lyddie asked.

The Queen snapped, "Don't be so spineless. If they are just birds, then they will fly away from us." She further commented, "Besides, my … home … is in front of us. And if they are in the way … they better not be then."

Lyddie gave a scorn look at the Queen but kept her tongue shut. Instead, she reverted her facial regions to a casual smile. Dean hopped down on to the dirt structured floor as soon as he ran out of trees to scale and crawl onto. He soon walked between Bestinslot and the Queen and faced his father.

"I have to ask you this." Dean remarked. "What happens when we get to her … home?"

Bestinslot wearily spoke, "Well … I don't know. Go back to our place I guess."

"That's it then? Then why do this then if it will only go back to the way it was with the four of us?"

He quickly corrected him, "Five … five of us."

"You expect her to stay with us?" Dean asked with a suspicious tongue.

"I believe she doesn't have anywhere else to go." He responded sorrowfully. "Even after all this … she'll go back to square one."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Dean inquired.

Bestinslot hesitated for a second until he replied, "To be frank, I believe I have seen things that may correlate to her position before meeting us."

"Which is …"

Lyddie hollered to the boys during their discussion. "Guys. Those are not birds." She informed casually as she pointed her human index figure behind them.

Bestinslot and Dean turned their heads to the direction of where Lyddie is pointing. They were met with a nearly empty field of steep rolling hills of grass and flowers. On those hills stood a group of about twelve creatures. The creatures bore similarities to birds as Dean has originally suggested. They stood like birds, their figure is very avian like, and they bore beaks like birds from first glance. They were tall as the Queen but looked very fragile in stature. These creatures bore such an extensive necks that have been aligned to have their heads face the bundle of explorers before them. Although are curious of who they are as they do not seem to be fearful of them and jumped away. Each of them bore various colors of canopy green, brownish gray, and dark mahogany. They appear to be bobbing their heads in confusion and curiosity at their new guests.

Bestinslot dropped his jaw slightly at the sight of the large fauna. "No way." Bestinslot remarked under his breath. "Those are actual dinosaurs. My first sight of live dinosaurs are Gallimimus."

He stared at the beasts in awe at the Gallimimus flock. A huge grin stretched across his face at the moment.

"You okay?" Dean asked.

Bestinslot giggled slightly, "Yup. Super." His voice soon cracked into a squeal.

"They don't look like they are going to hurt us." Lyddie commented.

Bestinslot quickly responded, "Yeah they won't. They're runners. Not fighters. They will scamper away than give us trouble."

However, an extremely massive Gallimimus walked out of the flock and approached the group. It could possibly be the Alpha of the flock as the rest stood there motionless. It bore a dark mahogany skin and dark oak stripes lining along its back. Eventually, it turned its slender cranium towards the Queen.

The Queen stood motionless before the massive Gallimimus. It slowly sauntered towards the Queen and squawked in high pitches alongside frequent head bobbing. Within seconds, the creature was within breathing distance to the Queen's face. Its yellow eyes darting around her body, arms, and head. A low sounding growl can be heard emanating under the Queen's helmet. It, however did not deter the creature's inspection of the red-headed nightmare. The Queen let go of Annie and carefully placed her on the grassy floor beside her. Annie then latched her grasps onto the Queen's leg and hid behind the gaze of the Gallimimus.

"You look … familiar." The Queen whispered to the Gallimimus before her. She extended her right hand as she spoke, "Where have I seen you before?"

The alpha gently nuzzled its head onto her palm. It did not flinch to the coldness and softness of her hand. Instead, it embraced it as if it was a warm and soft piece of cloth with its head. She caressed the creature gently and smirked under her helmet as it cooed with delight.

Lyddie remarked, "Aww. That is really cute."

Suddenly, the Gallimimus alpha retracted its cranium away from the Queen. It hastily latched its entire beak onto the helmet's visor of the Queen. It then began pulling onto it with unbelievable force.

She growled viciously as she held onto her helmet, "Yeah! Won't give us trouble at all!"

"Oh crap." Bestinslot cursed in annoyance.

Before any of them can take action, the alpha removed the Queen's helmet. Her scarlet hair practically flew into the sky after the debacle. Soon, the Gallimimus alpha sprinted away from the travelers with the helmet between its beaks. The rest of its flock followed and pursued the alpha upward the steep hill they were on.

The Queen growled with rage, "After them!"

She dashed after the flock with rage and vicious teeth as Annie was latched on the Queen's leg.

"You got to be kidding me." Dean snarled at the Queen. But she was so far ahead, he doesn't believe she heard him.

"Annie! Queen!" Lyddie called out to them. She faced the males of her family and sternly ordered, "C'mon! We can't let those two be lost."

"Right ahead of ya." Bestinslot hurried towards the direction the girls went before Dean and Lyddie took action.

Lyddie and Dean tailed Bestinslot as he ran with all his might for his children.

* * *

**Afternoon and the Queen … **

I roared as that little chicken ran away with my helmet. "Get back here with my little helmet!"

But no matter what, the fast bastard won't halt its speed with its annoying trot.

I was going to pursue the thief further but I had to halt my advancements because of a soft squeal of fear nearby. I looked down below and noticed Annie gripping onto my armored leg with all her might. My eyes widened in galvanization for this child's feats of strength for latching onto me for so long.

I stopped dead on my tracks following the thief. Annie soon lifted her head towards me as I halted my charge.

"Annie? I thought you were with the rest of our … your group." I questioned the infant as I grabbed her body and lifted her to my eye level.

I noticed streaks of dried tears ran down her face. But it appeared she kept a brave face and gave me a kind smile of glee. I then bowed my head with some burden in my head

I sighed in disappointment, "I am sorry."

_What?! Why am I apologizing? It was her fault that she latched onto me as I chase that fast thing. _

I glared at her after realizing it was her fault that she did that to herself. However, she met my gaze with such a lovely and jovial face. I loosened my stare and shrugged it off. My eyes went wide with epitome when grasped the situation where I may have lost the creature that took my helmet. I set Annie to lay on my arm before I started running again.

But before I could return back for the hunt for the thief, the thief stood just meters away from me. Its head was low to the floor and its body shaking in some sort of rhythm. It still held my helmet between its beaks. It gazed at me with cheerful anticipation as its tail swayed left and right at expeditious pace like the juvenile wolves playing around.

"Is this a game to you?" I questioned it from afar.

It did not respond with anything except excessive tapping of its toes and its wagging tail. I approached it slowly with my hand extended out to it. The creature did not move from its position and strutted its prize before me. When I was within my arm's reach, I lunged my entire body and hand to get my helmet back. Within a moment's notice, the creature leapt backwards, avoiding my grasp for my helmet. As I fell to the grassy dirt below, I shifted my body to land on my backside. I crashed onto the green blades and made a small trench with the momentum.

I gazed at Annie if she was fine. To my relief, she was nuzzled onto my arm happily and without a single speck of dirt or grime on her.

"Whew." I sighed.

I bent my neck backwards to observe the creature going back to its playful dance once more.

"You little bastard." I hissed. However, I sighed in realization, "Okay, I am in no mood for games."

I picked myself backup and trudged cautiously towards the animal again. This time, I plan not to give chase. And I believe the creature understands my sentiments as well. It halted its jovial and quick movements to a more calm and peaceful body sway. As soon as we were within a meter away from each other, I stared at the animal straight into the eyes with a form of serenity unfamiliar. And in return, it stared right back at me.

I extended my hand for my helmet between its beaks. However, it refuses still to return what is mine. It yanked the helmet away from my grasps and faced the opposite direction of me. Instead of continuing to sprint away, the animal went forward walking to its destination. I followed along and walked beside the beast. Not before long, its flock came by behind us and sauntered behind.

As soon as the sky bore an orange tinge, the animal stopped in its tracks. We were meters before another hill made out of green blades and dirt. The hill was massive and overbearing that it casted a massive shadow over us. The animal looked straight into my eyes again and then proceeded to nudge the helmet onto my hands. I took the helmet away from its maw and caressed the animal's head for its gracious gift. Annie too wanted to touch and feel the animal as well. I safely dropped her to the grassy floor beneath me and gazed happily as she launched herself to hug the beast's leg.

The creature was not disturbed by her "intrusion" of its space. It gladly nuzzled its head onto Annie's head. I smiled at the scene as gripped the helmet in my hands. Before I placed the helmet back in, the creature bobbed its head towards the grassy knoll before us. It wanted me go on top of that hill.

With silent acceptance, I trekked up the massive mound to see what was so important. When I reached the tip of the peak, I gazed down on what is before me.

There was a massive wooden farm house. Plots of land that grew a variety of crops. An extensive and large square perimeter barricaded by a small wooden fence. And a small glass house that sheltered some odd plants and fruit. And a couple overlooking the entire area inside the front porch of the house.

A felt some sort cold liquid crossing down my cheeks. I looked to the sky above and see no form of storm or rain to cause this. I wiped it off the water on my face but more of this liquid trekked down my face. My vision was blurred for a moment.

_Am I … crying? I don't think something got caught in my eye._

As soon as my vision cleared up for a bit, I could see the couple striding to the center of the settlement. I can tell one of them was a woman with a light tan. And the other was a man with an odd yellow coloration for his lengthy locks of hair. I think they could see me as they were waving blindly towards my direction. I darted my eyes all over me to see who they are searching for but saw nothing but foliage and dirt.

Eventually, I came to the reality that they are kindly waving to me. I slid down the hill before to confront them. As soon as I hit the bottom of the hill I casually strolled over to confront the two people. But, suddenly, I found myself running towards them with full intent to latch onto them.

_Why am I running? Why do I desire to hold them? Do I know them? Do they know me?_

These questions darted around my mind as I was sprinting. However, none of it was stopping me from running towards them. Although, I halted my sprint before me as I was merely meters away from the couple.

I could see the woman was wearing a blue sweatshirt that seemed a bit big for her and khaki shorts. And the man donned a light red jacket and navy blue and indefinitely worn out jeans.

They gave me such a warm smile. That alone, made my eyes watery once more. I wiped the tears from my face and return a lovely smile back.

"Welcome back home sweetie." The woman greeted me. "It is wonderful that you came by to visit us again."

"Home." I repeated the word.

"Are you not going to give your Pa and Ma a hug?" The man spoke happily. "Terri."

"Terri." I mouthed again.

_That's right. My name. My name is Terri. This place is called the Farm. And the people before me. They're my parents. My … family. _

I sniffled and teared up again. But I gave a smile of nostalgia and warmth, "I'm home."

I dashed forward with open arms and tears running down my face. But, I stumbled upon something and I soon crashed onto the grassy floor again.

When I tried to raise my body again, I noticed the house was no longer bright and fresh as I initially saw it. The wood was old and rotten and vegetation was nearly consuming it. The crops that were growing on plots of land were gone and was replaced with gray and wilted versions of them. The square fence perimeter was just as old and rotten as the house. The glass building was punctured and full of holes. And the couple before me, they were gone too. What took their place was unmoving skeletons that bore the similar clothes as them.

My knees felt heavy and I toppled onto the floor. From there my vision fade to darkness.


	21. Terri's Past

**Chapter 21: Terri's Past.**

I opened eyes to a dark wooden ceiling looming over me. A yellow light was emanating from the corner of my eyes. I turned my head to the source of the light for me to gaze upon a lit stony fireplace. The fire's yellow light bloomed a small brightness in its position of the entire room. A luxurious couch leaning to left side of the room, a couple of beanbag chairs to its right, and a woven rug depicting some sort of plant near the center were placed nicely near the fireplace.

And each furniture had an occupant. Bestinslot was sleeping soundly on one of the chairs. Dean followed by his father's example and is snoring on top of the beanbag chairs. On the couch was tiny Annie napping while hugging a cushion with such great strength, I am surprised it has not exploded with stuffing by now. And on the rug was that Triceratops girl with some sort of thick branch beside her.

I raised myself from where I had lain. As I looked down, I was on top of a soft cotton rug. I could definitely see that it was infested with parasites and dust. Granted, it is at least better than lying on … that area.

I sauntered casually towards the fireplace.

Without turning around to see who it is, Lyddie spoke, "Sounds like you've woken from your sleep."

My statement was supposed to be sarcastic in tone. But I dully stated, "Yeah."

I questioned her, "Why aren't you asleep like the others?"

She briefly stared to a nearby window that overlooked the front porch view. "I couldn't sleep after seeing that scene."

I looked down on the girl to find her chewing onto some of leaves on the tree branch. She turned her head gazed at me with such curious eyes.

"How are you feeling Queen?" She questioned.

I corrected her, "My name is not Queen. My name is Terri."

"Terri?"

"Yes. I am Terri." I said as I rolled my eyes at her shock.

"Does that mean you have your memories back?!" She exclaimed.

I gripped her mouth before she could disturb the three any further from their needed sleep. "Yes. I got them back." I hissed.

I let go of her mouth and see her giving me this sorrowful look. But eventually averted her eyes back to her branch and began gnawing into it.

With her mouth full of plant material, "You wanna bite?" She said as she inched the branch closer to my face.

"You're disgusting." I remarked.

"Oh yeah. You're a carnivore."

A silence entered the room. Only the nothingness uttered a noise in the entire house.

"So, how did you all get inside the house?" I asked.

"The door was open." Lyddie answered bluntly.

"So it was." I said without any hint of emotion.

A brief silence loomed over us.

Soon however, Lyddie broke the silence with her statement. "You said you were at home."

"I did?"

"Yes." She replied. "Is … is this really your home?"

I hesitated for a few moments before answering to her. "Yes. This … was my home."

With sorrowful curiosity, she bombarded me with questions. "What happened here? Why are there are bodies everywhere? And why are you wearing their armor?"

"What do you mean 'their'?" I curiously demanded.

"You didn't see them?" She inquired.

"I couldn't exactly pay attention to my surroundings." I stammered. I sighed, "I was … distracted."

"Well … there was these other bodies. Apart from the skeletons of people with odd attire." She responded. "They were horrible. They smelled terrible too. They looked like pigs also men at the same time."

"A pig-man?" I asked.

She stared at the blinking fire, "I guess you can call them that."

I remember now. Those things. Those "pig-men" attacked the Farm.

"I remember those monsters." I said as I glared at the fireplace. "And everything else. Ranging from what occurred here. And why I lived here."

She stared at me intently, anticipating what I will say next.

"Where do I begin?"

* * *

**In the Past …**

It started as a regular day back at the farm. I slept on a bed in the upper floors above and usually wake up early in the morning, usually at a time while the sun was barely out. When the sun can be shining out on the horizon, I would get up from my bed and go down stairs to meet our "herd". Well, a flock really.

My parents tended this site for agricultural growth and study. However, initially, this place was a breeding ground for animals. For what purpose, I don't really know. But I do remember that we tend to and cared for a small flock of Gallimimus. My parents told me they were for some other purposes but eventually became merely pets for us due to some circumstances from their work.

Before my little trip outside, my parents were already up. My mom was tying her boots and my father was grasping onto something on a table nearby. His back was turned against me so I had no idea what he was doing. Before I grab onto the door knob, my mother whistled for m attention.

I turned my body to face her, "Yes mom?"

"Terri. Do you know what today is?" She said as she made a wide smirk across her face.

"No. Not really." I answered. "What is it?"

My father, revolved his head to ninety degrees and spoke, "Are ya sure Terri? It is really important."

I pondered a bit for a moment and reluctantly remarked, "A medical visit to Auntie Sol?"

"Nope." My mom denied it happily. "Your medical shots are scheduled tomorrow."

"It has to do with gifts, especially for you." My father hinted.

"My birthday?" I asked with doubt in my tone.

He shoved his present outward from his chest, "Yup!"

It was a shiny helmet that I bore to this day.

My mother gracefully grabbed the helmet from his and handed me the protective gear. With a smile, she jovially exclaimed, "Happy Birthday sweetie."

I was breathless. It was so shiny and wonderful. I grasped my metal fingers and hug the helmet. I quickly mouthed, "Thank you both."

"So, we all know that you wanted to be a knight like those people of this land." My father explained. "So we ended make a trade with one of them for one of their helmets for some of our extra produce here."

"Do you need help putting on?" My mom asked.

"No. I don't think so." I replied. Immediately, I shoved the helmet quickly down my head. The metal walls of the helmet felt very cold yet very pleasant at the same time.

"Does it feels okay? Do we need to change anything?" My mother asked.

"Nope this feels quite nice." I happily responded as I flipped the visor to close my face. I gazed at my parents through the slits of the visor. "I love it!"

"Well that's great." My dad commented. "Take care of that okay? There is another set of armor coming by for you to fit in."

"Oh my- thank you." I gratefully bowed.

"I think you will like it anyway." My mom said. "It may benefit you when you … are going out for your survival training." My choked on her words a bit.

"A- are you okay mom?"

She shook her head into reality suddenly and replied with an open smile, "Yeah, I am fine. It just so great to see that my little girl is growing up so fast."

My father interrupted us, "Hey, Terri, go and get the Gallimimus flock out for their morning feeding. They must be hungry right now."

"Alright." I said. "I'll be back for breakfast."

"Alright." They both responded simultaneously as they come by to give me a kiss on my cheeks. "Be back soon." They waved goodbye.

I made a small wave back and tried to creep out through the front porch of the house and greet the Gallimimus outside in their pens. But the guards have took notice of my daily escapes in the dawn and were stationed at the porch.

I opened the door to find two of the guards standing in front of me with their arms crossed. Their faces were covered by their visors and helmets that shielded their face. But their shiny yellow name tags attached to their chests showed who they are. One was named Lewis and the other was named Remoh. Despite me towering over the two, I feared them still. Not because they hurt me or anything, but they always gave me a lecture every time I did something against their wishes.

"Terri. We told you many times not to go outside while it's still dark." Remoh nagged at me.

"Oh. Come on. My parents told me I can go." I pouted.

"Because we know when it is safe or not to go outside." Lewis barked.

"How come I can't go outside but you guys can?"

"That is because we know how to deal the outside world and come back safely." Lewis commented.

"Yeah. We've been trained on how to survive in the night outside the facilities." Remoh smirked.

I groaned at their pathetic excuse. "But I have also been trained on how to survive out there too."

"Well duh, kid." Remoh scoffed. "Those survival outings were kept in areas where we can keep an eye on you alongside whoever your babysitter was at that time."

"Kid." Lewis sighed. "We cannot let you just go outside all the time. I mean, while the paycheck dictates that you should be kept safe as much as we can, I am genuinely concerned about your early morning outings."

"Can you just make one more exception then?" I pleaded. "I want to go outside again and walk the Gallimimus flock to their feeding."

Remoh rolled his head to Lewis. Without uttering a single word or phrase they came to a conclusion.

"Fine. Fine. You can go outside right now." Remoh said with exhaustion in his voice. "But, you must be back here for breakfast and you take one of the day guards with you."

"Really?"

"Yes really." Lewis responded. "I think the boss would be willing to go with you."

"I'll go get her then. She's probably up by now." Remoh stated. "Terri, go and greet your pets soon."

"I got it." I responded happily.

I jogged to the rectangular pen where we keep the flock together. As they always were they would already up and awake by the time I arrive to meet them. And as soon I was within their line of sight, the entire flock would go and flock towards me like chickens to their feed. However, the Farm doesn't provide feed for them to eat. Instead, we take them out to graze and scour for insects at the nearby plains.

At this point they were at the edge of the fence squawking and chirping with glee. I petted and caressed their slender heads to have their attention noticed and accepted. But my favorite of the flock was Galileo. He was the one with a mahogany color in its base body and dark oak colored stripes running down from his back to his tail.

Galileo would always be away from the entire flock when the rest of the group would huddle together to say their "Good Mornings". Not because he hates me or anything. He enjoys my company, but he prefers not to be in a center of casual chaos in his flock in the morning.

I heard a voice bellowed behind me. "Good mornin' Terri."

I turned around and see a female guard with a name tag "Pia Sino" attached on the left side of her chest. I know of this woman since I can recall the time I opened my eyes. Unlike the others, she was one of the youngest and laidback guardsmen in the Farm. But despite her age, she was the Head Guard Captain of the Farm with a rumored reputation of fear and brutality. However, if the rumors were even true, she hides her nature very well.

She donned the standard dark blue and onyx colored bulletproof armor that all guards wore. Although, the usual helmet was absent as Pia had a burning hatred for the standard helmets the guardsmen were assigned to. She always intended to let her chestnut colored hair flow freely behind her shoulders. And she sought to embrace the warmth of the sun on her beige colored skin. She carries two different pistols besides each hip. Her left hip holstered a silver EAA Witness Elite Match pistol and her right hip wielded a chromed Springfield XD(M) pistol. Slung behind her back with a black leather strap was a P90 Submachine Gun painted to have a scarlet snakeskin.

I had no idea why they were called that, but she favored in to referring her guns by their full names.

"Good morning Pia" I waved.

She stopped at her tracks to view the Gallimimus flock. She then commented, "They're really restless this morning huh?" She aimed her cool eyes towards me. "You ready to go out there?" She asked.

"Are you?"

"Yeah. The ATV is fueled up and ready to go." She informed. "Go and open the lock to the pen's gate. I'll rev up the ATV so I can actually catch up to you … guys."

"Alright." I said.

I jogged to the wooden gate and hollered the flock to come over to the pen's gate. Soon, they all flock over the gates, itching to get out. I listened to their squawks and coos of freedom as I flipped the metal latch to open the wooden gate. After a soft creak from the opening gate doors, the Gallimimus flock rushed out the pen and began to sprint to the direction of the designated grasslands. I rushed to the side fleeing flock alongside Galileo's right side. Behind us was Sino tracking behind us to make sure that no one in the flock gets sidetracked.

* * *

**45 minutes later …**

I laid myself on a grassy knoll that overlooked the grazing flock. The morning sun has fully shone over the meadow and field that the flock inhabited for now. However, my light was extinguished, a shadow loomed over me. I casually looked up and viewed the handler and supervisor for the flock and me.

"Can I sit beside you?" She asked.

"Yeah. Go ahead."

She slumped her buttocks on the grassy blades below her and viewed the Gallimimus minding their own business. She lightly flicked my helmet which made an irritatingly high pitched ding that rung in my ears.

I hissed slightly at her, "What was that for?"

"What is that for?" Pia asked with a smile. "If you're going to wear a helmet use one of ours."

"Oh. It is just a little gift from my parents." I replied.

"Your parents." Pia repeated. "For ya birthday?"

"Yes. It is for my birthday."

Her eyes rolled off to the grassy floor beneath. She began ripping a few blades from the dirt floor before asking, "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

She exasperated a disappointed breath, "You do know why you're here right?"

I was stunned for a moment. I never came across this question in my life before. Usually it has to do with medical surveys from staff or personal stuff from my parents. But about why is she asking this out of nowhere, was something I never expected.

"Well, I was told by my parents that they wanted a child of their own." I blatantly answered. "And they were incapable of reproducing so they made me out of their DNA in their lab."

"Well, that is true. Uh, I guess I need to be clearer about what I said then." She sighed. "You do know why you're allowed to be there, at the Farm?"

"A- allowed?" I quizzically stammered. "What do you mean?"

"Listen," She exasperated. "I've known you for like, what? 16 years? I should tell you about this now. While we still have a chance."

"I cannot comprehend to what you mean?"

She laid her gloved palm on my metallic shoulder. "Me, your parents, all the Farm Guards, we have leaders and bosses. They call the shots to do and what not to do."

I silently listened to Pia. She seems grave about this conversation compared to her usual uplifting self.

"And what you parents did in creating you, was an abuse of resources given to them by the bosses." She sternly stated. "However, they saw the potential in you to be a valuable asset for them."

"Asset? Valuable? What?"

"You'll … suffer if they get their hands on you."

I glared at Pia with confusion and a bit of fury for this abrupt and horrible information.

"What are you implying?!" I roared a bit.

"I don't want you to suffer as much as I did with the company. So I need you to-"

A bright red and twinkling light was shot up to the blue sky above. A low whistling noise can be heard as the light source was reaching to the edges of the sky. I flinched to the sudden burst of light. However, unfazed by the unexpected disturbance, Pia Sin jumped up and landed on her legs into the air at the sight of sparkling red light.

As the glow began to subside and simmer down back to earth, I bellowed, "What in the world is that?"

"No way." She muttered.

"Pia!" I roared but I received no answer.

I gripped my fingers onto her arm and pulled her closer to me. But despite that, she never wavered her eyes from me.

"Shit." She cursed.

"What is going on?!"

"We have to go." Her voice stifled with a muffled growl.

I rather not ask questions. I can sense that this a grave situation judging from her voice.

"Alright. I'll round up the-"

She interrupted me with a snarl as she was running to her ATV, "No time! We have to get back to the farm now."

Now my curiosity got the better of me. I hollered to her, "Wait! Why?!"

Her ATV's engine roared as if it was filled unsettling energy. "That was an emergency attack flare."

I gulped in horror as I realized the upcoming words.

"The Farm is under attack."

**The Armor … **

Pia left her ATV at the bottom of the steep mound as it was not made to venture on heavily elevated terrain. As both of us scaled the grassy hill, gunfire and yelling was had clearly killed off the sounds of nature's tranquility. Pia reached the peak of the hill first as I managed to stay close behind. When I gripped the edge of the mound, I can see a small black mass with pockets of gold surrounding the entire farm house. I peered further into the scene to find that the mass was disfigured and humanoid monsters with all sorts of golden and elegant

There was a couple of guards at the front porch of the house firing their rifles in tandem against the horde. Still, no matter how many bullets were sprayed, only a handful of the barbarians fell down. In the windows of the house, I noticed several sparks of gunfire erupting. That would there are still plenty of survivors inside the house but are trapped by the surrounding hordes.

"Shit." Pia cursed in a whisper. She latched her fingers onto her radio and shouted, "Remoh! Report! What is going on?!"

The audio was unclear from my end. All I heard was distorted radio voices and her heavy breathing. A few seconds later, I eyed her for instructions as she was cocking her P90 to be ready for battle.

"Remoh! Tell the scientists to arm themselves with the any of the guns left lying around. I'll be damned if we managed to lose two more people! And watch your fire, friendlies are coming in hot!"

"What do we do?" I requested for her guidance.

"They had completely surrounded the house and is basically cutting off the team's chances to escape via the garage." She informed me.

"What do we do then?!" I roared. "Everyone is in trouble."

"I have to create an opening." She snarled at the situation. "I'll go to the garage's location and try to get their attention away from you as you evacuate everyone from the Farm."

I listened diligently to her orders.

"If I am lucky, I can get a jeep to get the survivors out of here in a jiffy." She bluntly explained. "If not … at least I created a big enough distraction to allow you to charge in without major damages."

"So I am entering the eye of the storm?"

"Pretty much." She said as she checked her magazines in her pockets. "We don't have much time. So I'll say it right now."

"What is it?" I asked.

"First," She pointed her index finger to the sky. "I've been told the enemy's armor is strong, but their head is weak. Hit them there."

"Got it."

"Second," She continued with a smirk in her smile. "Cliché as it is, I know you can do this. We have been training you to fight since you got your prosthetics from your uncle Cornelius. So make good use of them. So once you get in there, give them hell … for him and for Professor Verall."

I nodded and remarked, "Will do."

"Ready?" She sincerely asked.

I hollered at her, "We are wasting time here."

"Good girl."

We rolled down the mound and hit the grassy floor below. As soon as we landed, Pia and I dispersed and went our separate ways. She sprinted to the left side of the land and spouted nonsense as she fired her bullets at the horde. And as she planned, some of the enemy's forces were directing their attention at her. The last sight of my friend was her steely gaze and her mischievous smirk as it was quickly engulfed by the horde.

I turned my focus on what is front of me and noticed a few stragglers of the army standing in my way. Shoulder first, I charged into the fray to scatter the remnants away. From my single assault, I managed to trample a couple of the deathly beasts. At one point of my charge, one of the monsters latched onto my battering shoulder. It was covered in this spiky, blackened metal armor with its head left bare. And its head was merely a rotting pig head squealing in fury at me. With my free hand, I grasped its entire head in my palm and crushed it entirely as a swift crack of bone resounded from the act.

I toss its corpse away from me and continued my sprint. As I travelled through the horde, their resistance was getting stronger. However, before I knew it, I tripped up on one of the bodies of the creatures. I safely caught myself from landing on top of one of the bodies. I heard a sudden shrill from my right and glared at one of the pig soldiers raising its golden axe to kill me. But before it swung its weapon, a quick splatter of its blood sprayed into the air and onto me.

"Kid!" A man yelled out.

I aimed my gaze at in front of me to see Remoh, Lewis, and my parents sprinting towards me in a clear line.

Dad quickly slid to my face and picked me up. He shrieked in worry, "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"I am alright." I sighed in relief. "How's mom?"

Lewis informed us as he fired his rifle at the mob, "I am sorry. But we can talk later. We gotta get moving now."

I soon noticed that the army was encircling around us with their numerous numbers. However they made no strike against us. At least for the time being.

"Understood." I stated. "Follow me closely, they can attack at any time."

I faced the mob behind me. Their numbers were large, but there was a considerable dwindling in their numbers. By instinct, I bellowed a roar from my throat that even shocked the monstrous herd before me. Using this distraction, I made my assault with my family close behind me. With countless strikes of fists, throws, and tail swipes, I knocked the opposition away to make our escape.

I observed a thin line of forces before us. A couple of punches and throws can completely disperse the entire line. I prepared and retracted my fists to prepare the last scuffle. However, a cry of pain resounded into my ears. I looked back and see Lewis being dragged into the masse behind us.

"Lewis!" I shouted.

Remoh aimed his rifle at the undead pig soldiers, but a sharp click of an empty gun was the only thing that was released at the pull of the trigger. He scoured his chest pockets for any ammunition. I was going to launch myself into the mob to save Lewis. However, I felt a large forcing grasping firmly onto my tail. I turned my torso around to see a few of these monsters pulling onto my tail to force me into their blades and weapons.

I planted my feet firmly on the ground to not lose my balance. However, a sharp pain erupted behind my right knee and I fell down on one of my knees. I faced my attacker to the right and see a pig man swinging a golden club at my head. I fortunately caught the weapon mid-swing.

In the end, it was futile. Something grabbed me by the back of head and pulled me down dirt below me. It removed my helmet from head and tossed it away. I tried to see who had put me down on the dirt below. But the last I could remember was a swift shadow of a large heel onto my cranium.

* * *

**After some time … **

I woke up with a rhythmic chant of snarls and hisses ringing in my ears. I could see only the blood stained grass below me. My nose dripped bright red blood. My arms felt like they were hung into the air against my will. And there was some sort of swelling that protruded on my left cheek. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed I wore a chest piece that bore resemblance to the soldiers that attacked us.

_What are they doing? Why am I in this accursed drab?_

With slight pain, I gradually raised my head to find my parents. They were on their knees and their hands behind their heads. My mom was crying so much and my dad was cursing words that I could not hear. I tried to utter a word, but my mouth betrayed my thoughts and will not move. I attempted to walk towards them, but my legs would not listen. I looked to those beside me to discover that I was being lifted by some of the grunts to keep myself standing. Well, barely.

An immense beast, looking just like the grunts beside me, walked back and forth in front my parents. Unlike the other grunts, it wielded twin onyx-colored axes as big as its torso. Its jagged tusks were protruding from its bottom maw. And its face, while maimed like any other monster, bore an eye that shone with an orange tint. It spouted words that I could not decipher as any recognizable human language.

The beast reached in for one of the axes strapped from its back. It raised its blade into the air and a booming roar from the monster crowd in tis unison. The monster elevated its other hand to signal silence amongst the crowd. Once the uproar died down, the gargantuan creature sauntered and stopped in front of my father. Its axe was then lowered to have the blade within my father's subdued height. It was then I knew what the bastard was going to do.

I struggled viciously to stop the monster. While the grunts barely had any strength to hold me back, I was not able to escape from their grasps.

My father snarled, "Go to hell you bastard."

"Terri! Close your eyes! Don't look!" My mom shouted at me.

By instinct, I followed my mother's commands and faced the bloody grass below me. I wished I could have covered my ears as well. A quick swish rang throughout my ear holes. Tears ran down my eyes soon after.

"ELLIOT! NO!" My mother cried. "Once the company know what happens here you'll-"

I heard my mother being gagged by the brute. A second later, the same swish rang throughout my ears. A malicious snarl erupted from my face as my tears ran down on my cheeks.

A moment later, something slimy and rough gripped onto my neck hard. I winced in pain and open my eyes to see the glare of the brute. The hand pressing on my neck lifted me up into the air, forcing the grunts to let go of me. I choked on the strength of the monster. I felt that I was going to die there and now.

But it let go of me and let me crashed onto the floor on my knees. I stared up to the killer and saw the killer edging its hand closer to my forehead. Its hand, stained with blood. My parent's blood.

A boiling rage consumed me not long after. I clenched my fists and my teeth were revealed. I opened my maw wide and viciously bit the bastard's hand. I tasted its foul and putrid flesh. I hated it. I despise it. I swung its body away from me with just my fangs alone. I turned my body against the crowd and bellowed one last roar.


End file.
